[old gregg]

OK I take it all back. I don't drive much so seldom get hassled over the quay (hence previous statements of mine on this topic).

This morning changed all that. A tailback that went the entire length of the quay from the Tower Lights right up to those at the bridge. 35 mins to go the length of the quay starting at 08:30am.

The cause? An absolute asshole of a coach driver parked outside Tracey's Hotel, not using the inadequate loading bay outside. Oh no, this clown parked at the traffic lights and completely blocked the left lane for nearly an hour. Traffic going over the bridge from the quay at that hour usually gets very little time. This clown cut that in half.

Dozens of people late for work and school.

I can understand the need to pick up/set down guests but peak times and to obstruct traffic lights? I don't think so.

Hotel emailed, City Council cc'd.

So endeth my first ever bitch-fit on Boards

[Funfair]

RE: The Quay.
City Council should level the eye soar on the North Warf e.g. old flour mill, build a new car park on the site, build a covered foot bridge over the Suir to in or around the clock tower area.
Revenue from car park will pay for the bridge over 10-20 years.
You remove the eye soar, you have extra parking for the city with a short stroll over a visually stunning walk way. You have less traffic going down the quay etc etc..
I can only see the plus signs of this can somebody point out the negatives?

[kensutz]

How are boats meant to get under the bridge? How many people would actually use it? The silos can't be knocked because of health & safety.

[mike65]

If it was done correctly the volume of sail traffic is so low it could be done. The silos are not an issue as annoying as they are there is room for hundreds of cars on the north quays as it stands.

The Frank Cassin Wharf area is very roomy now.

http://www.griffinsoft.com/cruise11/TallShipsMap1.JPG

[abouttobebanned]

A foot bridge located at the tower hotel would get some savage use. People would even pay 50cent a pop to cross it. I'm no architect but Im sure something could be done to make it high up or retractable, drawable or liftable.

[Psychedelic]

Originally Posted by Funfair

RE: The Quay.
City Council should level the eye soar on the North Warf e.g. old flour mill, build a new car park on the site, build a covered foot bridge over the Suir to in or around the clock tower area.
Revenue from car park will pay for the bridge over 10-20 years.
You remove the eye soar, you have extra parking for the city with a short stroll over a visually stunning walk way. You have less traffic going down the quay etc etc..
I can only see the plus signs of this can somebody point out the negatives?

Yeah I know this seems like an obvious solution, unfortunately though there seems to be some sort of stalemate situation about the North Quays, between City Council, the Port and possibly some other private parties. I don't understand it myself, think it's all legal/finance issues and some people who want to make money on a development there. Sadly though it's like no one really cares enough to just to come to some arrangement and sort it out.

I asked Cllr Mary Roche on her blog why nothing was being done about it and she basically said have you've been hiding under a rock or something like as it was well-documented in local media, and that it's not that simple.

Maybe someone here could spell out exactly what the situation is and why the City Council aren't trying to do something about it.

[wellboytoo]

Mc Inerneys, (in Liquidation) own the former flour mills, so City council have no power over it and even if they got it for €1 from the liquidator, it is the first reinforced concrete structure ever built in Ireland over a very old dock, so the cost of demolitioning this would be a seven figure sum.
The Port of Waterford own every thing else other than the Train tracks, they are a private company who either want to operate or sell the land for big money.
Waterford City Council have no hold over any of it, that is the situation.

[Psychedelic]

Okay, so the Council can knock the buildings if they wanted. Seven figures is a lot but wouldn't have been back years ago - why didn't they? And even now they could spread the cost over a few years. For such an important thing that would revitalise the city centre (which is their primary objective), why don't they pay to knock the buildings, it would be an investment well spent.

The Council/Port could then pay to set up a car park which they could gain income from. I know it's probably a lot trickier than that but surely some sort of compromise can be made for the betterment of the city and the Port. I wonder would some EU or Government funding be available to support this kind of thing, like an urban regeneration fund.

It sounds like the Port are the bad guys here, sitting on land they want to see rise in value, but wouldn't the land be more valuable if the buildings were knocked. Ah I dunno, I doubt anything will ever happen there, not in the next 10 or 20 years anyway.

[Bards]

Originally Posted by Psychedelic

Okay, so the Council can knock the buildings if they wanted. Seven figures is a lot but wouldn't have been back years ago - why didn't they? And even now they could spread the cost over a few years. For such an important thing that would revitalise the city centre (which is their primary objective), why don't they pay to knock the buildings, it would be an investment well spent.

The Council/Port could then pay to set up a car park which they could gain income from. I know it's probably a lot trickier than that but surely some sort of compromise can be made for the betterment of the city and the Port. I wonder would some EU or Government funding be available to support this kind of thing, like an urban regeneration fund.

It sounds like the Port are the bad guys here, sitting on land they want to see rise in value, but wouldn't the land be more valuable if the buildings were knocked. Ah I dunno, I doubt anything will ever happen there, not in the next 10 or 20 years anyway.

IIRC it's Irish Rail who are the main blockers to the development of the North Quays as they own the railway tracks and the permanent way. they will not relinquish rights, hence the stalemate situation we find ourselves in

[hardybuck]

Originally Posted by Bards

IIRC it's Irish Rail who are the main blockers to the development of the North Quays as they own the railway tracks and the permanent way. they will not relinquish rights, hence the stalemate situation we find ourselves in

Remember hearing this. If there was any political will at all for this to happen, Irish Rail would be forced into backing down fairly sharpish.

[tonc76]

Originally Posted by hardybuck

Remember hearing this. If there was any political will at all for this to happen, Irish Rail would be forced into backing down fairly sharpish.

Irish Rail are a law onto themselves and I couldn't see them backing down for anyone!