Hotel consent should be refused: planner

QUEENSTOWN Lakes District Council senior planner Sarah Gathercole has recommended consent for a hotel in Wanaka’s Northlake special zone be refused, subject to new or additional evidence being presented at a hearing on May 14.

Ms Gathercole made the recommendation in her 154page report to commissioners Ian Munro and Jane Sinclair.

Northlake Investments Ltd has applied to construct and operate a 113room hotel, with restaurant, bar and gym for hotel guests only, and associated parking.

It is also seeking consent to establish an alternative outline development plan for the land related to the hotel.

Ms Gathercole said the hotel would replace a tennis court, which would have ‘‘unacceptable adverse effects’’ on the amenity and character of Northlake; the offsite coach parks could result in ‘‘inappropriate adverse traffic’’; and noise ‘‘may result in adverse effects on neighbouring properties’’.

She considered the hotel proposal was inconsistent with the district plan and did not promote ‘‘the overall purpose’’ of the Resource Management Act.

Ms Gathercole said the application was a discretionary activity under the operative district plan and her report included a list of 40 detailed conditions that could be applied if the commissioners were ‘‘of the mind’’ to grant consent.

Among them was a requirement that before the hotel opened, an acoustic consultant write to the council showing all building services plant and all building envelopes had been designed to ‘‘mitigate and control’’ noise beyond the site ‘‘to an appropriate level’’.

The draft conditions also included decibel and time limits on outdoor speakers, and time limits on when outdoor areas, including the restaurant and bar, could be used.

As well, ‘‘all windows and doors’’ would be required to be kept closed between 8pm and 8am.

Another draft condition would require the developer not to undertake any earthworks that would damage the ‘‘encapsulation cell’’ of contaminated soil buried at the site.