Stanley Street parking possible by Christmas

A short term solution could deliver nearly 100 carparks to a site on Stanley Street in the Queenstown CBD in time for Christmas.

But, until then, it is likely coaches will make use of the site for loading and unloading as roadworks continue in the area.

Members of the Queenstown Lakes District Council Infrastructure Committee have been presented with a series of options to develop the empty lot - situated between Ballarat and Shotover Streets and flagged by the council as a potential site for a new council headquarters - into parking.

At a committee workshop today, council staff have reported a consent application has been lodged for a temporary gravel carpark with 97 spaces - 54 of them new.

Staff say the additional parking would cater to the "busy Christmas period" and be available from early December to Waitangi weekend "as dictated by Alliance works and access to the site".

The plan involves some site juggling with Kā Huanui a Tāhuna, the alliance delivering stage one of the Queenstown arterial road.

The alliance has requested the site be used for approximately 20 buses a day that will be kicked off Athol Street when it closes from Monday, for approximately two months, to allow for stormwater upgrades on Ballarat Street.

"As part of reinstating the site, the Alliance will complete the works required to instate this as a temporary carpark, thus rapidly implementing something ahead of the Christmas busy period," staff say in their workshop report.

"Handover of the site for parking will be the earliest of completion of the Alliance works or consent uplift for parking (wherein parking and coach loading will be operational at the same time for a period of a couple of weeks until works are complete.

"This use and reinstatement is mutually beneficial as it not only provides a temporary use for the site from October-December while consent is gained for temporary parking but also implements a gravelled surface faster than standard procurement would permit, while not compromising on parking potential through December/Christmas."

The recently adopted Long Term Plan budgets $5 million for the development of parking across the wider Stanley Street site.

Councillor Matt Wong, at the meeting where the plan was signed off on, described provision of more parking in central Queenstown as "low hanging fruit" for the council that would go some way to appeasing business owners that had taken "a hit" with rates rises.

Members of the Infrastructure Committee have also been presented with two options for medium term use of the site for parking.

One maximises parking spaces by removing a significant number of additional trees, allowing for 116 parking spaces, while a second saves some 'high value' trees but delivers 12 fewer parking spaces - a total of 104.

The first option is estimated to generate $579,000 in annual revenue, at a cost of $1.5 million to construct, while the second option is estimated to generate $484,000 and cost $1.2 million.

Two options for medium term parking at the empty Stanley Street site (Images: QLDC workshop report).

Parking fees are calculated at $6 per hour.

Staff are proposing one entry and exit from Ballarat Street, after previously pitching another entry and exit off Shotover Street that would have required the demolition of the Bead Shop and another residence.

The plan is for construction work to take place between February and April to convert the 'temporary' carpark into the 'medium term' one.

Staff suggest the work be undertaken by the alliance "to optimise works in the central town area".

The full report can be found in the agenda for the Infrastructure Committee workshop held on Tuesday, October 8.

Main image (QLDC report to Infrastructure Committee workshop): The proposed temporary carpark on the vacant Stanley Street site.