Masterton Town Hall. Photo: Emily Ireland / LDR
A Masterton Town Hall option labelled "risky" and impracticable will now go to the public for consultation after a heated council meeting on Wednesday.
Masterton District Council [MDC] staff had recommended that two options be included in the upcoming long-term plan consultation to determine the future of the town hall site.
The town hall was closed in 2016 after being deemed earthquake-prone. The deadline for completing seismic work on the building is early 2026.
The first option council staff recommended be included for consultation was to demolish the town hall and municipal buildings and retain Waiata House and Queen St premises.
This option was estimated to cost $3.35 million.
The other option, costing $38.67m, was to demolish the town hall and municipal buildings and build a new town hall and expand Waiata House.
A third option - demolish the town hall, build a new town hall, and refurbish the municipal building - was recommended to be struck from consultation, but elected members fought to put the option to the community.
The estimated capital cost of this option is $45.3 million.
A report to councillors said this option was "not a reasonably practicable option for the purposes of decision making and community consultation" under the Local government Act, "because the information we have about this option is too uncertain".
"The engineer has advised that there are known risks with demolishing the town hall and leaving the municipal building," the report said.
Structural assessment shows the town hall is connected to the municipal and civic defence buildings in multiple locations and "any demolition of the town hall risks the structural integrity of the floor, walls, and roof of this foyer space".
Cost escalations were also likely to be significant, considering the age and nature of construction of the era in which it was built and upgraded.
When quizzed as to why the option was not recommended to be consulted on, strategy and development manager Karen Yates said the option didn't "stack up" to the other options, carried more risks to the council, and was not reasonably practicable to consult on.
People trying to save the Masterton Town Hall in 2021. Photo: LDR / Wairarapa Times Age / Jade Cvetkov
She said if the council put the option to the community, "that nuance may well get lost" and the public "probably won't take into account all of those risks".
Councillor Tim Nelson said: "That's one of the most patronising things I've ever heard in my life," to which Mayor Gary Caffell said: "Tim, hang on a second, you're talking to an officer in public and that's not a very good comment to make".
Nelson said he was "very disappointed with that feedback" and that he thought it was "patronising towards our community".
"This is a community that fought to have options," he said.
Caffell said: "All I'm saying is that Karen is giving an officer's opinion, which officers are asked to do."
Councillor Stella Lennox put forward an amendment to have the option included in consultation, which was agreed to by all elected members.
"I want to be able to listen to what the community want to say on this hot topic and I think if we don't give them the opportunity to speak on all options, it is an injustice," Lennox said.
The council's "preferred" option that will be put forward in consultation remains the $38.67m plan to demolish the town hall and municipal buildings and build a new town hall and expand Waiata House.
If this option is finalised in the council's Long-Term Plan, the project would be funded through loans and external fundraising.
The project would roll out from 2025-2027.
By the 2028/29 year, the average urban residential property would pay an additional $302 per year in rates compared to the 2023/24 year as a result of council delivering this project.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
