Hotel holds up to plan
‘‘Having a building of this height will decrease the amount of natural light that enters our buildings, in winter the buildings will cost more for the tenants to heat, it causes more risk of dampness and mildew, which in turn can turn to mould.’’
Submissions in support, however, like Scott Forsythe’s, said claims of shading were exaggerated.
‘‘The building is on the south side of [Tuwharetoa St] and therefore won’t cast a shadow on the street. The only shadows cast will be on Service Lane 6 and the backs of the buildings in Roberts St. So that is not a real issue,’’ Forsythe said.
Others said a new hotel would improve Tuwharetoa St.
‘‘The development will lift the town’s profile for hospitality and tourism and will have a snowballing effect on some of the other businesses,’’ Vaughan Nairn said.
‘‘People eat with their eyes: by creating more quality outlets, we will attract quality and revenue, including increased visitor numbers.’’
Rosalie Adlam said a hotel and restaurant would be preferable to the crater-filled lot currently at the site.
‘‘Redevelopment of the site is essential as it is currently an eyesore,’’ she said. ‘‘It is an opportunity to create such a hotel with very little impact on the view from any other building in town, as there are no high buildings further away from the lake, with views of the lake and mountains.’’
Submitter Daisy Hylton supported the proposal.
‘‘It would be a great way to make use of the lake views, especially since fast food chains get the prime views of the lake.’’
Submitter Thomas Lyons said Taupo¯ needed more high-end accommodation to stay relevant as a tourist destination.
‘‘If this development is stifled by people stuck in the past, our future as a prosperous destination will be hindered.’’ Taupo¯ District Council says an eightstorey hotel proposed for Tuwharetoa St is consistent with the District Plan’s objectives and policies.
The council recommends resource consent for land use be granted. The empty, privately owned lot beside Vine restaurant is currently used as a car park.
At a consent hearing on December 17, 18 and 19, three commissioners will consider whether to grant the application.
In preparation for the hearing, council planner Darren Clark penned a 56-page report.
The report details how the application fails to comply with the Taupo¯ District Plan’s performance standards – such as building height – and the likely effects of those failures on the ‘‘streetscape and general character and amenity of the Taupo¯ Town Centre location’’.
Other effects include the shading caused by the building’s height; earthworks; servicing; and positive effects.
Clark said three storeys was the default height for buildings in the Taupo¯ town centre.
However, he said the Taupo¯ District Plan did allow for taller buildings, citing the plan: ‘‘While the permitted height limit for buildings within the Town Centre Environment is three storeys, there may be circumstances where a particular development such as a hotel, seeks resource consent to exceed this height.
‘‘On an appropriate site, this may create the opportunity for a landmark building, without necessarily detracting from the scale and character of the remaining town centre,’’ the plan says.
Clark noted other buildings, such as a five-storey apartment building on Heuheu St and the 4.5-storey-tall Base Backpackers already exceeded three storeys.