Giving consent for a hunting and fishing retail store at Freeway Orchard near Cromwell would fragment the town's business area, opponents say.
The Central Otago District Council's hearings panel has considered an application by Central Otago Hunting and Fishing to establish and operate a store at that location, on rural resource-zoned land.
The panel met last week and has reserved its decision.
The application attracted 34 submissions, with opinion evenly divided - 17 for the proposal and 17 against.
Scott Kunac, of Dunedin, is the director of the applicant company and also owns Allan Millar's Hunting and Fishing Ltd in Dunedin.
Larry Dougherty, of Clyde, will be the co-owner of the business and manage the retail outlet.
Counsel for the applicant, Russell Ibbotson, of Queenstown, said a fruit and vegetable processing warehouse and retail sales already operated on the site, as well as a cafe and an extensive car park.
Council planning consultant David Whitney has recommended the application be declined.
He said it would fragment retail activity in Cromwell, affect the landscape and visual amenity by expanding the existing complex and could result in traffic problems.
"Mr Whitney, in his report, appears to focus on why what is proposed by this application should be located in the Cromwell central business district, rather than assessing whether what is proposed is appropriate for this specific site, given its attributes, characteristics and existing activities," Mr Ibbotson said.
Mr Kunac said other sites had been considered, but the Freeway Orchard location was the most suitable for what would be a "regional" store.
Owners of several Cromwell Mall businesses objected to the proposal.
