Planners mulling feedback on waterfront block

A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build a six-storey office block on Wellington’s waterfront has drawn 94 submissions, and council planners are digesting the comments before seeking city council approval later this month.

Wellington Waterfront chief executive Ian Pike said officials were still analysing the submissions, which closed last week, but he said they were generally favourable.

‘‘But it is not a straight ‘yes, no’ scenario and there’s quite a lot of work to be done to figure it all out because some people like some bits and don’t like others.

‘‘People like some aspects but are critical of others and we need to do more work to analyse it all.’’

There were extremely positive submissions, and some were extremely negative – they did not want anything to go there at all.

An advisory group would look at the suggestions and consider possible changes and plans for the office block at 10 Waterloo Quay, now a car park. This analysis would go to a special council strat- egy and policy committee meeting on March 27.

In the meantime, the project has come in for strong criticism in the Environment Court.

The court has been hearing evidence this week from witnesses called by Waterfront Watch, which is challenging Variation 11 of the district plan, which would allow the council to approve build- ings on waterfront land without public notification. The present plan requires public notification of any buildings in the area.

The height and bulk of the proposed office block were criticised by planners and consultants who said it would dwarf nearby historic buildings and reduce public access.

The court reconvenes

next Friday to hear from one more witness.

Waterfront Watch president Pauline Swann said they were not against buildings in the area but a big office block was not appropriate, with plenty of empty office space elsewhere in the city.

Ms Swann said the council had also been contemptuous of the process. While it was in mediation with Waterfront Watch over Variation 11, council staff were sitting down in another room looking at designs for the building. This was circumventing the Environment Court process.

Waterfront Watch’s biggest concern was that the council was attempting to shut the public out of the development process, she said.