Civic centre decision tested

A ‘‘squall of discontent’’ about Masterton District Council’s decision to forge ahead with plans to build a $31 million civic centre is building into a storm.

The council voted 6-5 at a Long-Term Plan meeting earlier this month to fund the centre to replace the existing library and earthquake-prone town hall and municipal buildings.

The decision was set to be ratified at a full council meeting on June 30. A group of high profile businesspeople and concerned residents have written to the auditorgeneral calling for an enquiry into the process how the council came to its decision.

Masterton Action Group spokesman Warwick Delmonte said there was a lot of growing public opposition to the council’s plans and the group’s members were worried about information supporting the council’s decision. ‘‘The process has not been as transparent as it should be.’’

The council hasn’t said where it intended to put a new facility citing commercial sensitivity, but it was understood its preferred location was not at the current site.

Delmonte, who owned one of Masterton’s busiest retail hubs, said social media polls, letters to the editor and discussions with residents showed that many people were opposed to the council’s proposed spend and its lack of concrete plans.

‘‘It’s gone from a small squall of discontent to a full-on storm of protest in a matter of a couple of weeks.’’

The group included prominent Masterton developer Dave Borman, who proposed earthquake strengthening and extending the existing municipal building.

He said this proposal would save the heritage facade and cost less than half the price of building a new civic centre from scratch in a new location.