A club building committee looked at five other options, with its preference a new single-storey building landward of the current building and closer to Ferguson Ave.
But neighbours are opposing the site, preferring the “No 2″ option about 400m to the north, off Fenwick St, the link from Ferguson Ave to The Esplanade.
Club stalwart and education director Brian Quirk – Surf Lifesaving New Zealand Distinguished Service Award recipient (2002), life member (2009) and recognised in 2016 for 50 years of service – has been raising the issues with authorities for more than four decades.
But he says he’s “given up” to concentrate on growing surf lifesavers of the future and let others take up the issue.
Keith Price, who represents the Napier City Council’s Ahuriri ward, chaired a council workshop about a month ago which included a discussion with club representatives, and he knows what he’d like.
“I’d like more sand,” he says, expecting greater beach nourishment after the expected December arrival of the new suction hopper dredge Kapuka, a joint venture of Port Napier and Port Otago.
Wistfully, he’d like to see the return of “something like the ping-pong ball drop”, a popular community 1970s-1980s attraction in which a helicopter dropped hundreds of balls on to the sand for hundreds of people hoping to link ball numbers to major prizes.
No one would disagree, but they do disagree over the club’s proposals, which were aired at a meeting the club called with residents last week.
Club building committee chair and town planner John O’Shaughnessy said no final decisions had been made.
The Westshore Surf Lifesaving Club clubhouse, threatened by the sea and erosion for several decades. The club is considering building a new single-storey clubhouse nearby. Photo / Doug Laing
The focus is on more discussions with residents, hoping to lodge resource and building consent applications early in the new year, and, with favourable Surf Lifesaving New Zealand funding decisions, starting building by the end of next year.
By that time the lease on the current dirt would have expired.
Westshore about 45-50 years ago, when there was lots of sand, and lots of people. Photo / Old Napier Collection
Opponents say they accept the need for the surf lifesaving club to relocate, survive and thrive, and a council wish to assist by making land available.
But, according to one submission at the public meeting, they say building on the site “less than 50 metres” in front of the current building will affect residents living “across the road”.
The unnamed submission cites the removal of open, shaded space, removing protected trees, destroying the views, a negative influence on property values, and further risk of inundation of the site, although it would have an elevation of at least a metre above the current footprint.
“There is very little sense in spending the millions of dollars required relocating the building less than 50 metres from where they are currently being forced to move from, and squeezing the building into a small strip of land bounded by two roads, a playground, and an eroding beach,” one said.
Quoting a coastal hazards report, a submission notes the preferred site is eroding at 32cm a year, while the No 2 site is growing by 73cm/y.
O’Shaughnessy says all the feedback is being considered, but, based on his experience with councils and the public in property matters when it comes to “the view”, he recognises the possible outcomes won’t please everyone.
All matters are up for discussion, including the height of the building and the “footprint” – the land area being about 10% greater – and O’Shaughnessy says the club is also trying to secure space away from the site for storage.
One resident who declined to be named said he believed people were prepared to go “all the way” in opposition, but they were “individual residents”, with no group yet formed.
“The residents feel just feel it’s a shame to just push it back so close to the road [Ferguson Ave],” he said, highlighting that it would take away a popular shaded area of the reserve and part of the road to it, and be closer to the reserve’s playground.
O’Shaughnessy is confident no pōhutukawa would be removed, although it is possible a couple of Norfolk pines would have to go.
The committee believes it has considered the options available, of which there were not many, but O’Shaughnessy said there was “still a long way to go”.
The Westshore residents’ association, which in the past has made submissions on erosion issues, and also developed and runs its own security surveillance system through the area, is awaiting further information.
Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter, based in Napier, with more than 53 years’ experience in newspapers and more than four decades covering news and sports events and issues in Hawke’s Bay.