Motel idea defended

The very idea of a new motel in a small Taranaki coastal town has got at least two people’s backs up – even before any formal plans have been lodged.

In February, property developer Richard Dreaver went public with his concept of turning the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses on Waitara’s Princess St into a 14-room motel.

Despite having his own preliminary drawings, Dreaver had not filed any resource consent applications related to project.

New Plymouth District Council spokeswoman Jacqueline Baker confirmed this was the case.

‘‘But we have received two early pieces of feedback that suggest they are against any possible development,’’ Baker said in an emailed statement.

Dreaver took issue with people’s ability to hit out at an idea for a re-development in the absence of any information about what the proposal looked like or what type of construction was involved.

‘‘I don’t think they’ve got the right to do that,’’ he said.

He believed he knew who had voiced concerns about the motel to the council and felt they were motivated by their dislike of him as a person, rather than the idea of the motel itself.

A recent major project Dreaver and wife Sharron Masters-Dreaver have been involved with was the creation of two subdivisions off Waitara’s Armstrong Avenue, which have a total of 79 sections. It was delayed for four-and-a-half years after opposition to the plans were lodged.

The stand-off began after NPDC approved a plan change to rezone a rural area on Armstrong Avenue to residential, which essentially gave the green light for the subdivision. An appeal against the decision was lodged by seven people in the Environment Court and mediation was required to resolve the issues.