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Orewa Library will surrender the use of part of its car park for around two years so that repair work can be carried out on the leaky Nautilus apartment block.
The decision was made by the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board at its meeting on July 20.
Until now the local board had said an emphatic ‘no’ to project manager Prendos NZ’s repeated requests for permission to use the library car park (which began a year ago). However, in overturning that decision the local board put a number of conditions in place regarding use of the car park by trades people working on the 12-storey Nautilus. These include further information for health and safety and traffic management plans to be provided by Prendos; no deliveries into the car park from 10am–2pm, and a bond to cover renewal of the access way and car park be held by Auckland Council. Prendos will also be charged for the licence to occupy part of the car park – the funds will be used for improvements to the library.
The southern side of the car park (which is up against the foot of the Nautilus) is the main part to be utilised by contractors, along with the entranceway. Space in the car park will be used to store building materials, locate site offices and install a hoist to lift and lower materials to the Nautilus. A ground level site is needed, as there is no access from the lower car parks of the building to the podium, other than to go through two residential lifts and corridors. The building materials that need to be delivered include large window units, prefabricated exterior cladding, tiles, structural steel and screed.
The contractors will use staff parking, rather than public parking, and Orewa library staff will be given 14 parking spaces in the Nautilus’s retail car park to use for the duration of the work.
While six-monthly cleaning of the library walls and windows at Prendos’ expense is in the consent conditions, cleaning of neighbouring, privately owned business sites is not.
One reason given for approval of the use of the car park is that it will limit impact on the retailers on Keith Morris Lane. Those retailers, including Emi Deli owner Jonathan Ma and the architects at Shafer Design, are happy that another option, which would have caused major disruption to their businesses, has been rejected.
Mr Ma gathered 267 signatures over a 10-day period on a petition seeking that the local board reconsider allowing the library car park to be used.
“I can make a plan now and look to the future of my business,” Mr Ma says. “I’m very happy to be moving forward.”
Prendos is also looking to the future. Prendos NZ director Natasha Cockerell says the company is really happy that the local board agreed to the carpark option, which she says is much better for the community as a whole. “We are looking forward to getting ahead with the project with as little impact on the community as possible.” she says.
She says work could begin as soon as this month, but it is more likely to be in spring. Building consent has been applied for, but Prendos has been advised it may need a temporary resource consent in order to use the library carpark.
A working group will be set-up with representatives from the library, the Nautilus Body Corporate, council, main contractor Legacy Construction and Prendos for the duration of the project.
Funding of around $25 million for repairs to the Nautilus, which has major structural issues including weather-tightness, was obtained, largely from Auckland Council, via a case in the High Court.
