Re: Re: well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?
A CITY councillor is sticking to his conviction that the People’s Park is being interfered with in a way that is reducing its landscaped parkland.
Cllr Jim Long told the Limerick Post that following his protestation against the sudden appearance last week of a new pathway in the park at the rear of new complex which is being built there, and his claim that “a cloud of silence” hung over the issue in City Hall, Limerick City Council director of services, Kieran Lehane has now agreed to an investigative meeting on site.
The councillor, who sparked off a heated controversy that gathered momentum following his discovery some months ago that Limerick City Council had sold off 0.44 acres of parkland for 1.5million euro to facilitate the building of a mixed development, is now incensed that there has been a further intrusion into the public park which was bequeathed to the people of Limerick by the Earl of Limerick in 1876.
City Hall confirmed that it had received a number of calls from members of the public, voicing their concern that yet more of the park has been eroded.
However, City Council is emphatic that the construction of a ramp will allow Council workers access to a new depot located in the basement of the multi-storey apartment development.
City Hall states that the ramp or new pathway was part of the planning development and is required to provide access to the park’s maintenance depot. The council stresses that there is no intention of providing a facility for vehicles to drive through the park.
Unconvinced, Cllr Long said that having walked around a cordoned off area in the park, there is, in his opinion, ample room for a truck to drive through.
“It is my belief that what we’re looking at here is a slip road,” he said.
“I’ll be meeting with officials in the park – I want to show them where my concerns are and that not one more piece of the People’s Park is interfered with for building developments
A pretty worrying precedent is being set here, was never much of a fan of this development in the first place, there was never any mention of this access point in the original application and the city council assured people that no part of the part other than the specified site itself would be lost, turns out most people were right to be suspicious!, limerick city council dont seem to have any problem in destroying the citys oldest and probably its best public park while doing absolutely nothing to at least improve or perhaps even dispose of the failure that is arthurs quay park, there is a pretty large area there if you include the dunnes site and the vacant shops to the rear of roches, and i cant understand why no action is being taken, there is surely some legislation to free up prime development sites, this is probably one of the last remaining prime sites by the riverfront and what we dont want here is another boring, bland apartment block, if ever this site became available, i think an international competition should be held and let planners and architects(the people who should know best) come up with ideas on how best to utilise this valuable site, i wouldnt like to see the job the city council would make out of it!
