TOWN PLANNING AND CITY WORKS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 151, 23 December 1929, Page 10

TOWN PLANNING AND CITY WORKS

(To the Editor.)

Sir.—Town-planning, in my opinion, in 4 eludes well laid off streets, good fooM paths, and the beautifying of vacant cor-J uers and reserves. With this in mind 1< invite the Mayor and town councillors: to pay a visit of inspection to the work! that has recently been carried out at the. intersection of Grant and Wadestown' roads, a very busy and popular thoroughfare.

With plenty of vacant ground to -wort; on —which is not always the case in Wellington—this corner could have been made; one of the best and safest in the city, and when the foothills are planted next year, as lias been provided for, a pleas-, ing approach to one of our growing su-i burbs and a favourite tourist route. To-, day, with all the money that has been] expended on the work, it is still a dan-j gerous corner, and an eyesore to boot." Although a Hew footpath has been made,} the full length of Wadestown road, it", peters out at this corner—the very spot| where it is most needed, and where there] is ample ground for it. '

Had this road been widened at tliek intersection, which could easily have been} done, and the corners of the vacant land,! not yet planted, wall rounded off, there] would have been uo necessity of raising; Grant road, interfering with a well-i graded footpath, and depreciating valu-] able properties. It would be interesting to know the amount of money the cor-j poration has been compelled to spend on.l these properties_ to save it from heavy and! just compensation claims. j

I would also like to draw tile council's] attention to the doubling of the tramtrack from Park street along Grant roadJ This has always been one of the most' dangerous corners in Wellington as manyi motorists know to their cost, and also! the tram uiotormen; it will be doubly; dangerous now. This track should not have been doubled unless it was possibleto purchase the corner properties and) provide ample room and vision for a safe] turning. Town-planning has played ncn part in the laying out of these works, be-J sides which they are poor engineering1, jobs. The question that arises in rayi, mmd —and evidently also in the minds of some of your other correspondents—is as] to whether the city is getting value fori the money that is being expended.—l am^ etc.,

A TOWN PLANNER,