Queenstown Lakes District Council has finally agreed on a official name for what has been known as the eastern access road.
It will now be called Hawthorne Dr, the council decided at its meeting this week.
Hawthorne Dr presently starts at a roundabout near the entrance to Remarkables Park Shopping Centre.
The decision means the name will be extended along the entire length of the road, which will eventually link State Highway 6, near Glenda Dr, around the back of Queenstown Airport, to Remarkables Park.
The decision was not without controversy.
Speaking in public forum, The Landing owner Lindsay Williams and Brian Fitzpatrick, on behalf of Remarkables Park Ltd, both submitted in support of "Remarkables Park Dr'' and expressed frustration at the lack of communication with stakeholders by the council.
The matter was last before the council in October, but a name for the road could not be agreed.
Mr Williams said since then letters supporting Remarkables Park Dr had been forwarded to the council by business owners, including New Word Wakatipu, but they appeared not to have been taken into account or referred to in the council report.
The area was a destination, rather than just a shopping centre, and would eventually be home to a school, hotels, a variety of retail outlets and apartments.
He submitted the report before councillors yesterday was "pretty well short of the mark'' and suggested the council should not make a decision without "hearing what these people have to say''.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the majority business owners in the vicinity supported either Remarkables Park Dr, or Remarkables Ave.
Remarkables Dr had previously been approved and, under the council policy names referencing landmarks or, for example, native trees not present in the area should be avoided.
"There are no hawthorn trees between the eastern access road and Glenda Dr,'' Mr Fitzpatrick said.
Councillors were also divided on the issue.
In moving the recommendation Cr Scott Stevens said having Hawthorne Dr being extended was likely envisaged by the council who initially approved the name.
Cr Mel Gazzard, who seconded the motion, said those supporting Remarkables Park Dr were doing so "for commercial reasons''.
"Commercial reasons are not part of our naming policy and I believe should not be [under] consideration.''
Cr Alexa Forbes believed it would be wrong to name the road after trees which do not exist in the area.
"I hate that we're revisiting this argument about it again.
"There's not a hawthorn tree to be seen anywhere around that location.
"It's really about trying to get people where they want to go ... Remarkables Park is where you want to go.''
Opposed to the name were Crs Forbes, Ella Lawton and Simon Stamers-Smith, with the motion carried by Crs Aoake, Gazzard, Stevens and Craig Ferguson.
Crs Cath Gilmour and Lyal Cocks were not at the meeting.
