More time-limit parking mooted in Temuka CBD

A proposal to eliminate two car parks and add a one-hour limit to 35 others in Temuka’s town centre is hoped to improve safety and ease traffic congestion.

The Temuka Community Board has voted in favour of establishing timedesignated parking along upper King St and eastern Wood St, and identified two parks causing visibility issues outside Hammer Hardware as part of discussions.

Temuka ward councillor and board chairman Paddy O’Reilly said the proposal would now move to public consultation.

‘‘We will be approaching residents and businesses. We will give them the opportunity to have their say, rather than us just making the decision,’’ O’Reilly said.

He said Temuka Transport had approached the board about commuters and other workers parking outside its offices and boardroom all day, forcing customers to leave their vehicle some distance from the premises.

Further engagement with property owners and occupiers on King St revealed a need for time-designated parking on Wood St as well, where workers were also clogging up the kerbsides.

‘‘We also found that when people back out of Hammer Hardware, there’s a couple of car parks on the side of the road that don’t allow them to see,’’ O’Reilly said.

‘‘Losing those parks just allows a bit more freedom.’’

Eight parks along King St and 27 on Wood St would be signposted ‘‘P60 – 8am to 5pm – Monday to Friday’’, stretching from the corners of Dyson St and Hally Tce, if the proposal went ahead.

In a report to the board, Timaru District Council transportation team leader Simon Davenport said parking was already limited to 60 minutes on most of King St.

‘‘In terms of consistency and ease of enforcement, it is considered prudent that any new time-designated parking installed in the CBD [central business district] also be P60.’’

While parking on Hally Tce did not have a time limit either, it was excluded from the proposal because there was not a high demand for kerbside parking there, Davenport said.