Central Otago District Council hearings panel of councillors Tracy Paterson (chairwoman), Martin McPherson and Sarah Browne heard an application to convert Roxburgh’s only motel into unit title properties for individual ownership.
Changes to an existing consent for travellers’ accommodation in Cromwell were also heard.
Consent was sought for a staged freehold and unit title subdivision the existing Roxburgh Motels, in Liddle St.
Terramark Ltd resource management planner Darryl Sycamore said, in his report to the panel, the current owners had not decided whether they would go ahead with subdividing but were keeping their options open for the future.
Consent was sought for a staged subdivision, initially separating the manager’s residence from the property as a freehold site and then a unit title subdivision of the five motel units.
While the subdivided units would be residential, consent was also sought to allow new owners to rent them out short term for no more than six days at a time, Mr Sycamore said.
Given the property was operating as a motel, that should not be cause of any concern, he said.
Council contracted planner Rebecca Kennedy-Perkins agreed in her report for the hearing.
The five units would be smaller than allowed minimum areas and greater than maximum density allowed by the Resource Management Act for individual properties, she said.
However, there were public open spaces within walking distance and the site provided adequate parking, communal outdoor areas and storage.
Ms Kennedy-Perkins proposed conditions and recommended the panel grant consent.
A report to the hearing by JPW Consulting for the applicant GZR Property Investment Ltd explained the Cromwell consent was originally approved in December 2021 to build 18 units at 3 Mead Ave to accommodate up to 102 people in two rows of nine, three-bedroom units.
Since consent was granted the consent holder had decided to include single bedroom units. That resulted in an amendment to create 26 units but reduced the number of guests to 90.
Now the applicant wanted to increase the units to 28 by reducing some of the three-bedroom units over three levels to two-bedroom units over two levels. A planned garage underneath the three-bedroom units would be removed bringing the block down to two levels.
The units would be individually titled enabling separate ownership, the report says.
Council planning consultant Christopher Pearse-Smith said a request for unit title of some units the site would only be used for visitor accommodation with a maximum stay of three months.
Restrictions in the district plan would prevent the units becoming residential property once unit title was granted, Mr Pearse-Smith said in his report.
The planner’s recommendation was that the changes be granted with suggested conditions.
