Let’s Get Wellington Moving lives on – to shop owners’ annoyance
Let’s Get Wellington Moving is dead but its offspring lives on, to the anger of some Cuba St businesses set to lose nearly all nearby car parking.
When the Wellington City Council first started consulting on its $535,000 plan to cut parking from the eastern side of the central city street, it was part of the $7.4 million Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) transport overhaul for the capital.
LGWM was ditched by the new government in December with little completed work to show for it other than a few knoblike pedestrian areas, lower speed limits, some cycleways, and a Cobham Dr pedestrian crossing.
The Government has committed to a second Mount Victoria tunnel while the Wellington City Council is revamping the Golden Mile – both parts of LGWM – but now it seems other aspects of it survive.
Hunters and Collectors manager Charlotte Hall said the council had dropped off information to Cuba St shops but was “just going to do whatever they want” regardless of feedback.
Cuba St Minerva owner Anne Minerva understood the plan was to cut all parking from the eastern Cuba St, between Vivian and Ghuznee streets, and reduce the number of parks from the western side to five regular parks, one mobility park, and a series of loading and no-stopping zones.
“Given the number of businesses operating in this space, and the nature of their businesses [customer based retail] this is nothing short of absurd,” she submitted to the council.
“I can only conclude it is part of an ideological war on cars and independent retailers [and there is] going to be collateral damage.”
Her shop is a block south of the affected area but she feared the flow-on effect and what it would do for affected businesses. In her 16 years she had seen many changes: There was free parking offset by a levy on central city businesses, then that went without a drop in the levy.
Quakes claimed off-street parks and closed businesses in quake-prone buildings, while cycle lanes, “decorative features” and outdoor seating for hospitality increased.
Cuba St’s Kaffee Eis owner Karl Tiefenbacher, who recently missed out on a seat on council by 45 votes in a by-election, said the plan showed “total disregard” for businesses in the city.
“You might as well close the shops right now,” he said. “It is ludicrous, it is insanity.”
Pukehīnau/Lambton ward councillor Iona Pannett strongly supported removing parking from Cuba St.
“I do, however, support parking for disabled people and for delivery vehicles. Cuba St is our premier street and priority should be given to green space, places for people to enjoy food and for retailers to market their goods and walkers and pedestrians.”
Fellow ward councillor Nicola Young said the area was already an “epicentre of independent, established retailers”.
“It represents the essence of Cuba St as we love it. It is just nuts – the council is supposed to be supporting Wellington, not killing Wellington.“
Third ward councillor Geordie Rogers, who beat Tiefenbacher by 45 votes, was approached for comment.
Council spokesperson Victoria Barton-Chapple said the council was taking over some LGWM projects including Cuba St, Thorndon Quay, and the Golden Mile. Work on the Hutt Rd was on hold pending decisions in the council’s long-term plan.