Earlier this month Independent Commissioner Louise Taylor heard evidence for a property at 43 Shortcut Rd, in Cromwell.
At the hearing Commissioner Taylor indicated she hoped to have a decision before Christmas.
However, this week she issued a minute requesting Central Otago District Council (CODC) consultant planner Oli Monthule-McIntosh provide evidence to support references in his report regarding the low supply of rental housing in the town and the adverse effect of removing residential units from the housing supply in Cromwell.
Commissioner Taylor requested the information by January 15, unless otherwise advised by Mr Monthule-McIntosh.
Owners Jun Hou and Lihua Zhang were represented at the hearing by their son Jackie Hou, resident manager for the complex consisting of nine residential units at present. The owners have resource consent to ultimately have 22 units, in various configurations, on the site.
A dozen neighbours had made submissions with all but one wanting the unit owners to stop letting some of the units as short-term accommodation. The remaining submission was neutral.
In April, the CODC received a complaint that the units were being used for travellers’ accommodation. Council officers advised the owners to remove all listings for the activity by May 25. That was not done and an abatement notice was issued on June 6.
The owners then made an application to use the property for travellers’ accommodation. On June 27, the council decided the application would be processed on a limited notification process involving one neighbour across Shortcut Rd and those on a next-door private road.
At the hearing, neighbours said they would have objected to the style of property if they had the opportunity initially.
