Quake-hit Masterton building must come down, says council

‘They’re full-depth fractures – right through a whole wall.’

NINE people are homeless and four businesses will relocate after it was confirmed a historic building will be demolished.

The Daniell’s Building complex in Queen St, Masterton, was damaged in Monday’s quake and council-appointed engineers had concluded it was uninhabitable, Wairarapa civil defence controller Kevin Tunnell said yesterday.

Owner Garry Daniell, whose great-grandfather constructed the building, met council staff and engineers yesterday and they decided it should be pulled down.

Tenant and building manager Peter Critchley said he had time to grab only ‘‘one and a half changes of clothes’’ and faced losing everything in the badly hit building.

‘‘They’re full-depth fractures – right through a whole wall and come out the other side. We may end up with nothing if the building collapses, but I’m willing to start from scratch if it means I’m going to live longer.’’

The owner of one of four groundfloor businesses said she had been told she would be allowed to enter her shop under supervision this

Peter Critchley week to retrieve her stock and equipment, and Mr Tunnell said residential tenants were told last night they would have the same opportunity. Some were being accommodated by Civil Defence in hotels or motels last night and given up to $200 each for clothing and other essentials, he said.

The assistance was available till Friday, when it was hoped all would have found new homes.

The building contained seven dwellings inhabited by nine people, including two couples, and was not in immediate danger of collapsing, Mr Tunnell said.

Mr Critchley said he was concerned about the future of some residents with mental health or addiction problems or who were beneficiaries.

The building’s cheap rent meant it was their ‘‘last resort’’, he said. The average rent for a two-bedroom flat in the building was $100 a week.

Val Persico owns Fashion Connection, a clothing business on the ground floor. She said Mr Daniell told her yesterday he would provide a truck to help her retrieve all her possessions.

‘‘He said it needs to be pulled down, he said it’s inevitable. I consider myself very lucky.’’

Mr Daniell, a former Masterton mayor, said he was not sentimental about the building, which had ‘‘held its head above water’’ as a rental property. Demolition was the ‘‘obvious’’ solution to the damage but it was too early to speculate on any plans to develop the site, he said.

Meanwhile, the Historic Places Trust has called on Mr Daniell and other owners of quake-damaged buildings to seek advice from its heritage engineers before deciding on demolition.

The 1925 building is not listed with the trust but spokesman David Watt said it was a prominent structure in Masterton and he hoped it could be saved.

The building was also not on Masterton District Council’s heritage buildings list and no special permission would be required to demolish it, district planner Sue Southey said.