Mosgiel's memorial garden will not be the site of the town's new multimillion-dollar pool, but exactly where it will go is still to be decided.
Concerns the new Taieri aquatic facility could be placed within the garden were raised after the Dunedin City Council released a plan to designate an area covering Memorial Park, Peter Johnstone Park, the existing Mosgiel Pool and part of Reid Ave.
If approved, the designation will allow the new pool to be built without further planning approval.
A condition added by consultant planner Louise Taylor to the original proposal now meant a pool or parking area for such a facility could not be located within the garden area.
A hearing on the proposal was held yesterday.
Mosgiel resident Peter Sim said the designation process was being inappropriately used and he objected to any pool site which put open spaces at risk.
While pleased the garden would be protected, Mr Sim said he was still concerned there were no specific sites for the pool.
"Mosgiel's open green spaces shouldn't be sacrificed and it should not be built in the park at all,'' Mr Sim said.
The most common-sense place for the new pool to be built was the site of the current pool, he said.
Taieri Communities Facility Trust chairwoman Irene Mosley said the trust supported the designation proposal but also understood the concerns others in the community had.
"While we want to get on with building the pool we are also members of the community, and we also want a site that is well planned and sensible.''
It would be difficult to raise the additional $700,000 the trust wanted without a site for the pool, Mrs Mosley said.
About $3.5 million has been raised by the trust.
Commissioner Gary Rae, of Nelson, asked the planning specialists providing evidence for the council if there were any sites within the proposed area which were not suitable for the pool.
While some sites were better than others there were no areas which should be excluded, except for the gardens, the specialists said.
A decision on the designation is expected within the next month.
Where exactly the pool will be situated will be decided as part of the design process which is expected to begin soon.
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What the??
I was sure i read somewhere that the new pool was going to be built on the site of the caravan park, and the caravan park would be moving to beside the skate park, with access by Peter Johnston Parks' Carpark?