Altered Site 9 building likely to get nod

The development of a commercial building on Wellington’s waterfront looks set to be pushed ahead despite concerns about height.

An area of the waterfront alongside Customhouse Quay, known as Site 9, has been earmarked by developer Willis Bond & Co for a new five-storey office block that would be 21 metres high.

Concerns were raised about its proposed height, which appeared to be at odds with an Environment Court ruling in 2012 that the maximum height of a building on that site should be 19m, sloping to 16m.

Wellington City Council received 127 submissions, with 53 per cent in support and 37 per cent against. The rest were neutral. A council document shows the upper-most concern of opposing submissions was the building height.

Tomorrow, the council’s city strategy committee will discuss the outcome of public consultation. Councillors will be urged to vote for a development agreement and 125-year lease of Site 9.

Willis Bond has considered public feedback and modified its design. It will reduce the height from 17.1 metres to 16.5 metres at the southern end, and from 20.9 metres to 19.9 metres at the northern end. The height of the plant room has also been reduced to 1.3 metres, down from 2.8 metres.

Wellington Civic Trust chairman Jim McMahon, who has previously aired his ‘‘significant’’ concerns about the building height, urged councillors to provide the community with an opportunity to further consider the design of the proposal.

Site 9 is across the street from 20 Customhouse Quay, which is under construction and is being managed by Newcrest, which opposed the initial proposal.

Lincoln Fraser, development director at Newcrest, said: ‘‘Although we have had further engagement with Willis Bond ... our position is that the Environment Court decision ... should set a maximum height not to be exceeded, rather than being treated as a guideline.’’

Waterfront Watch president Victor Davie said members were adamant Site 9 should not be considered until the ‘‘enormous’’ office building under construction on Site 10 was completed and a review on how the buildings would affect the waterfront environment.