Tap bar plan gains wary support

The proposed refurbishment of the Tap bar in Arrowtown, which will affect public use of the corner of Wiltshire and Buckingham Sts, was given cautious support by the Queenstown Lakes District Council utilities committee yesterday.

Concerns about creating a precedent, where private use was allowed to encroach on to street reserve, were raised by committee chairman John Mann and urban designer Nick Karlovsky, after the report tabled by Mr Karlovsky and transport manager Denis Mander about the proposed redevelopment by Mertha Developments Ltd.

Mertha applied for resource consent to upgrade the existing historic building, on the corner of Wiltshire and Buckingham Sts, subdivide the existing garden bar, erect another small building and undertake extensive landscaping.

The proposal anticipated works on Buckingham and Wiltshire Sts and Romans Lane and ongoing activity on Buckingham St, which required council approval.

Cr Gillian Macleod questioned whether the usable width of the Wiltshire St footpath of 1.5m, as recommended in the report, was wide enough, as vehicles tended to overlap the kerb line when parking.

Mr Karlovsky said the recommended wheel stops, or changes in kerb line, would maintain the width.

Cr Lex Perkins said the proposal was a great concept in a sunny spot and would tidy up the area.

Cr Vanessa van Uden said the redevelopment would be lovely, but it was still a public space.

Mertha would require a licence to occupy the public domain space it was proposing to build on and Ms van Uden assumed Mertha would apply.

Mr Mann and Cr John R.

Wilson said they did not see a disadvantage to the public and "technically" supported a licence to occupy.

Cr Mel Gazzard said Nomads Queenstown Backpackers was granted parking space in return for installing street furniture and asked what was different about the Mertha proposal.

Committee members moved to "support" the Mertha proposal affecting Wiltshire St, subject to modifications, instead of the recommended word "accept".

Councillors referred the report to the property subcommittee for "further consideration".

During the public forum, Southern Planning Group director Scott Freeman, on behalf of Mertha, said the publicly notified resource consent application had been lodged and a hearing was expected in six weeks to two months.

Mr Freeman informed committee members the removal of the proposed short paved link between the Wiltshire St carriageway and footpath, as recommended in the report, was acceptable to the developers.

The hedge could be controlled to maintain the recommended 1.5m width on the footpath, he said.