A desire to "get it right" rather than just get it done will mean the proposed Earnslaw Park toilets upgrade is likely to be stalled until further consultations are made and plans received.
Wai Dining Group responded to the Earnslaw Park upgrade proposal by submitting an idea to develop a cafe attached to the upgraded toilets, which councillors at the community services committee meeting agreed could be an option.
"If we want to go down the path of investigating a proposal from Wai then we need more consultation," council community services general manager Paul Wilson said.
Wai would not automatically be given the lease, and Mr Wilson clarified it was not a Wai proposal but a Wai suggestion and would be put out for tender before a company was agreed to.
The public would be consulted on whether they felt a cafe was needed at the location. Mr Wilson said "there is an issue around convenience ... I mean how many [cafes] do you need to be convenient?"
Because a cafe would result in monetary gain for the council, an independent commission would need to hear the proposal.
This would mean further delays and the likelihood the development would not be completed until at least the next financial year.
"It's two years behind where it should be at ... We have been advancing with the view to have this up and running after Labour Weekend," Mr Wilson said.
In his report to the committee, Mr Wilson said "service access and ventilation" would be provided for via a central corridor, which could be used as commercial space.
"It is also intended to utilise part of this service corridor for the creation of a small kiosk space.
"This would be suitable for ticketing, confectionery, florist or convenience retailing."
The toilet upgrade and the park upgrade were being treated as separate items, with which councillors Simon Stamers-Smith and committee chairwoman Cath Gilmour disagreed.
"They are part and parcel," Cr Stamers-Smith said.
The council generally received positive responses from public submissions on the toilets, but the park's upgrade had been met with more contention, especially over whether the grass area should be reduced and the two willow trees removed.
Because of the "disquiet" around the park's upgrade, more consultation and information would be gathered.
