New centre won’t clog Lake Rd

By travelling off peak, retirees won’t affect busy road, say commissioners

Residents of a giant planned North Shore retirement village could avoid using a clogged peninsula road at peak times and travel in groups, a decision allowing the project has indicated.

Kitt Littlejohn and John Hill, independent planning commissioners who heard Ryman Healthcare’s application to build Wakakura village between Takapuna and Devonport, made those points about Lake Rd in their decision out on Tuesday.

“Having considered the evidence, giving more weight to the specialist expert evidence we heard, we are satisfied that any adverse traffic and transportation effects of the village will be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated to an appropriate level as ... its residents are discretionary travellers and more likely than not to avoid periods of peak congestion . . .,” their decision said.

Around 18,600 vehicles per weekday use Lake Rd, one of Auckland’s most congested roads and the only arterial route into and out of Devonport.

Traffic from the new village on a 4.2ha greenfields site between Lake Rd and Ngataringa Rd would be less than other types of residential development, the commissioners

HRyman applied to build 195 independent living apartments, a 120 hospital or care beds facility and 78 serviced suites. Plans show blocks up to six levels high, with basement carparking. Site owned by Ngati Whatua’s Whai Rawa commercial arm indicated.

“Development of the site for residential housing would generate similar, if not more, traffic impacts on the local roading network, potentially at more congested times of the day,”