Owners of commercial buildings opposed to the Gore District
Council's plan to include their properties on the heritage
register will put their case before a hearing next week.
The council proposes to add 12 buildings to the ''scheduled
heritage structures'' list, as part of a group of changes to
the Gore district plan.
The hearing, to be held next Tuesday, is the third relating
to the proposed plan changes and will deal with the heritage
register and creation of a townscape zone.
Council consultant planner Keith Hovell said the owners of
four buildings - the ASB Building, Buckleys-McCutcheon
Building, Gore Club Inc and LaHood's building - opposed their
inclusion on the register. Their main concern was the impact
it would have if their buildings, or parts of them were
deemed an earthquake risk and required work.
While Mr Hovell accepted this was a valid point, he said it
would be more appropriate for it to be considered when
seeking consents to undertake work rather than exclude the
building from the register.
A report on the proposed district plan changes said that in
2009, a ''substantial'' building at the southern end of the
Gore commercial area was demolished. In response to public
comments about that demolition, the council requested staff
to prepare a report listing any buildings they consider
should be added to the register of existing significant
buildings in the district.
Initially, buildings within the Gore central area have been
assessed.
The hearing will be held in the council's chambers, starting
at 9am, before councillors Bret Highsted, Cliff Bolger, Nicky
Davis and Marty Redhead and is open to the public.
The council is proposing 14 changes to the district plan, the
majority in response to issues and situations raised by the
public. A fourth and final hearing will be held next month.
Buildings to be added to the register. -Whittingham buildings
(24-30 Main St), ASB (10-12 Main St), Buckleys-McCutcheon
(61-63 Main St), The Capri (71-73 Main St), The Ensign (47
Mersey St), Gore Club Inc (14 Mersey St), Investment House
(47-53 Mersey St), LaHood's (43-45 Main St), former National
Bank building (15 Mersey St), original Gore post office
(101-103 Main St), Peterson's (21 Main St), Shoe Biz (29-31
Main St).
- helena.dereus@odt.co.nz
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