Resident's plea at McDonald's hearing

A Mosgiel woman appeared close to tears yesterday as she described the sleepless nights and stress she had experienced and which she blamed on plans to build a McDonald's drive-through restaurant beside her home.

Lynda Anngow was addressing the Dunedin City Council's hearings committee on the second day of a resource consent hearing for the proposed McDonald's development.

She and husband Malcolm bought their Hartstonge Ave home, beside the proposed restaurant, in 2007, and were told by a real estate agent and developer the vacant lot next door was to have homes built on it, she said.

The site was zoned for large-scale retail development, but a McDonald's restaurant was considered a commercial development and non-complying under the council's district plan rules, a council planner's report said.

However, rumours a McDonald's restaurant might be built on the site were confirmed in April this year, when an application for resource consent was received by the council, she said.

A council report being considered at this week's hearing recommended consent be granted, with conditions.

The impact of the proposal, and the couple's fight against it, had been "horrific", Mrs Anngow said, her voice cracking at times.

"I have had many sleepless nights and substantial stress leading up to this hearing... If the application is successful, I know that we may never be able to sell our house.

"Who would ever want to live three metres from Mc- Donald's?"Earlier, Mr Ann- gow argued Mc- Donald's had a history of attracting younger people driving noisy vehicles with loud music, while Mosgiel had been plagued by boy racers in road trains of up to 100 vehicles.

"I am sure they will be regular late-night visitors to the restaurant," he said.

Wind would also carry noise and smells from the restaurant, and emissions from up to 960 vehicle movements each day associated with the restaurant, towards their home and other neighbours.

Their arguments won some support from council planner Karen Bain, who stuck to her recommendation but said submitters had "my sympathy".

"They appear to have been grievously ill-served in terms of the professional advice they did, or did not, receive in terms of buying their properties," she said.

She also acknowledged the restaurant would "fundamentally" change the area, attracting boy racers and other noisy visitors.

"This is a `build it and they will come' scenario. You will get every yobbo and bogan this side of the Maungatuas attracted with bells and boom boxes on," she said.

However, she believed a condition restricting the restaurant's hours - to 7am to 10pm, Sunday to Thursday, and 7am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday - would address that.

McDonald's wanted hours of 6am to 11pm, Sunday to Thursday, and 6am to 1am on Friday and Saturday.

Several other residents also argued against the development yesterday, citing noise concerns, the loss of amenity, the safety of pedestrians and traffic congestion problems.

Raelene Kelly, representing a group of neighbours, presented detailed legal arguments, as did Don Anderson, a qualified planner acting for neighbours, against planning aspects of the proposal.

Responding, McDonald's counsel Dr Grant Hewison argued previous consents - granted in 2005 - for residential units on the surrounding land did not change its large-scale retail zoning.

It was an appropriate site for the restaurant, and he "respectfully" disagreed with submitters arguing it was suitable only for residential homes.

A site management plan would help address problems with litter or unruly behaviour, as would regular consultation with neighbours and police.

Further detailed legal submissions would be made in writing within two weeks, he said.

Committee chairman Cr Colin Weatherall adjourned the hearing yesterday, awaiting further information, and said formal deliberations would begin after that.

The hearing would then either be reconvened, or a decision released.

chris.morris@odt.co.nz