Submission
Which parking changes proposal would like to comment on
St Clair proposed changes
Do you support or oppose the proposed changes?
I/We oppose the proposed changes
What is your feedback on the proposed changes
While in principle we support the changes proposed to assist the businesses on the Esplanade and Forbury Rd, we have grave concerns regarding the impact on our business (Fe29 Gallery). We have already put in a proposal for a 30 minute park outside our gallery, due to existing serious impacts caused by long term parking by those visiting the esplanade.
We were granted resource consent (2015) to operate an art gallery from our home at 30 Sandringham St, St Clair and have been in operation, 6-7 days a week since then.
Parking is already a problem, particularly on the weekends when people come to St Clair to go to the beach or one of the cafés or restaurants in the area. For lack of closer parking spaces, people will often park in front of our gallery for hours. Also, tradies will often park outside our place for many days. All of these vehicles block visibility to our signage and our premises, and leave no place for our customers. This seriously impacts our business and the proposed parking changes will result in even more serious impacts to our business, 7 days a week.
The problem affects our customers wanting to load large and heavy artworks (framed paintings, bronze or stone sculptures). It also affects couriers coming to pick up or deliver shipments of art, which can be large and heavy, some requiring hand trolleys, pallet jacks or even on occasion, a Hiab.
Fe29 Gallery is a destination for out-of-town visitors. We have been written up in numerous publications including, but not limited to; The Auckland Herald, Life and Leisure magazine, Kia Ora in-flight magazine and the Otago Daily Times. We support charities, offering works for auction, holding dinners for Ronald McDonald House and raising money for Breast Cancer research by opening our home and gallery for the House and Garden Home Tour. We have been interviewed on Radio NZ and on local TV Channel 7. We have become a community hub, where people come at difficult times.
The 30 minute parking space we have requested would help alleviate the risk to our business from current long term parking issues, and also the more serious impacts on our business caused by the proposed parking changes being put in place to assist other businesses in the area,
While we support other local businesses and therefore the proposed changes, our support can only be conditional on the granting of our requested 30 minute park, as to do otherwise would be self-defeating and likely cause the demise of our business.
We have attached photos of just a few of the vehicles that have been parked outside our property for many hours, and in some cases all day, even for many days.
Supporting information
Submitter
Submission id number: 1137082
Submitter name:
Megan & Cecilia Megan & Cecilia
Last name
Mickelsen
Organisation
Fe29 Gallery
In what capacity are you providing your feedback?
Resident and owner/director of business in the area.