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Marc
Multi-million dollar development and Tekapo townships future growth depend on the outcome of a major district plan change hearing which ended yesterday.
After community consultation the Mackenzie District Council want to significantly change the Tekapo district plan.
One plan change would see 3.4ha of land above Lakeside Drive (the pine tree area on the way to the motorcamp) rezoned residential two. This would allow tourist and residential buildings to be built up to a height of 8m on small, 250sqm sections.
Given the scale and density of this subdivision (1ha is 10,000sqm) this proposal drew surprisingly few public submissions.
However, proposed changes to the village centre were more controversial drawing 56 submissions.
Seventeen submissions requested lower buildings in the village centre and the council has decided to limit Tekapo building heights to 8m.
Extending the commercial area on to the grass domain between the business area and the lake drew more than 20 submissions opposing the move to some extent. One business owner was almost tearful as she explained to independent hearings commissioner David Collins on Thursday what the loss of lake views could mean to house and business owners.
In her written submission Judy Merchant advised: "Do not destroy your environment for the mighty dollar."
The council's financial and administration manager Jason Beck presented the council's proposals on Wednesday, the first day of the hearings.
Afterwards, he said most people were unaware much of the land, seen as a reserve, is already zoned commercial. Proposed changes mean the physical boundary between commercial and reserve land be realigned and made straight. He said the reserve area between the lake and business area would still be expansive.
If the commercial area develops, corridor walkways allowing views up the lake will be developed.
Another possible change was making an active recreational area around the community hall and providing facilities such as squash courts. Ten submissions opposed this and five supported it. Many of those opposed lived near the hall on Aorangi Crescent.
Supporters included Environment Canterbury who supported all the council's proposed changes and the Tekapo community board which broadly supported the proposed changes with some reservations.
Mackenzie mayor John O'Neill has said the council makes no secret of promoting growth in the district as greater capital value and more ratepayers, reduce the burden on individual ratepayers for services.
Chief executive officer Glen Innes said reserves of money had been spent upgrading services such as water supplies and sewerage systems. Any land sales should not be seen as a windfall, he said. Reserves could be replenished and the interest earned would lessen the load carried by ratepayers, he said.
The proposed changes include extending the commercial area along from the tavern and through to Lakeside Drive, the road to the motor camp.
The area above Lakeside Drive will cater for more dense accommodation.
Below Lakeside Drive to the lake will remain recreational reserve.
Planning and regulation manager Martin King said the terrace beside State Highway 8 to the west of the township would not be zoned for dense housing and the residential two area would not affect lake views. Around the motor camp a special tourism zone will encourage low density tourist accommodation, he said.
Having denser accommodation, suitable for tourists and situated near the commercial centre of town was good planning, he said.
Extending the commercial area could see houses, such as the army and CCS holiday homes removed. The police have already rebuilt their holiday home elsewhere and CCS are planning to rebuild on a new site.
Land behind the service station, west of the Tekapo River, may be rezoned from commercial to denser residential. Mr Innes said this might help meet the demand for staff accommodation.
He expected the decisions and rational behind them to be made public hopefully within a few weeks.
After community consultation the Mackenzie District Council want to significantly change the Tekapo district plan.
One plan change would see 3.4ha of land above Lakeside Drive (the pine tree area on the way to the motorcamp) rezoned residential two. This would allow tourist and residential buildings to be built up to a height of 8m on small, 250sqm sections.
Given the scale and density of this subdivision (1ha is 10,000sqm) this proposal drew surprisingly few public submissions.
However, proposed changes to the village centre were more controversial drawing 56 submissions.
Seventeen submissions requested lower buildings in the village centre and the council has decided to limit Tekapo building heights to 8m.
Extending the commercial area on to the grass domain between the business area and the lake drew more than 20 submissions opposing the move to some extent. One business owner was almost tearful as she explained to independent hearings commissioner David Collins on Thursday what the loss of lake views could mean to house and business owners.
In her written submission Judy Merchant advised: "Do not destroy your environment for the mighty dollar."
The council's financial and administration manager Jason Beck presented the council's proposals on Wednesday, the first day of the hearings.
Afterwards, he said most people were unaware much of the land, seen as a reserve, is already zoned commercial. Proposed changes mean the physical boundary between commercial and reserve land be realigned and made straight. He said the reserve area between the lake and business area would still be expansive.
If the commercial area develops, corridor walkways allowing views up the lake will be developed.
Another possible change was making an active recreational area around the community hall and providing facilities such as squash courts. Ten submissions opposed this and five supported it. Many of those opposed lived near the hall on Aorangi Crescent.
Supporters included Environment Canterbury who supported all the council's proposed changes and the Tekapo community board which broadly supported the proposed changes with some reservations.
Mackenzie mayor John O'Neill has said the council makes no secret of promoting growth in the district as greater capital value and more ratepayers, reduce the burden on individual ratepayers for services.
Chief executive officer Glen Innes said reserves of money had been spent upgrading services such as water supplies and sewerage systems. Any land sales should not be seen as a windfall, he said. Reserves could be replenished and the interest earned would lessen the load carried by ratepayers, he said.
The proposed changes include extending the commercial area along from the tavern and through to Lakeside Drive, the road to the motor camp.
The area above Lakeside Drive will cater for more dense accommodation.
Below Lakeside Drive to the lake will remain recreational reserve.
Planning and regulation manager Martin King said the terrace beside State Highway 8 to the west of the township would not be zoned for dense housing and the residential two area would not affect lake views. Around the motor camp a special tourism zone will encourage low density tourist accommodation, he said.
Having denser accommodation, suitable for tourists and situated near the commercial centre of town was good planning, he said.
Extending the commercial area could see houses, such as the army and CCS holiday homes removed. The police have already rebuilt their holiday home elsewhere and CCS are planning to rebuild on a new site.
Land behind the service station, west of the Tekapo River, may be rezoned from commercial to denser residential. Mr Innes said this might help meet the demand for staff accommodation.
He expected the decisions and rational behind them to be made public hopefully within a few weeks.
Cheers
Marc