A gulf remains between the Queenstown Lakes District Council and private developers on key aspects of plan change 50, despite two days of mediation between their expert witnesses.
Those differences were aired yesterday at a hearing on the plan change, which resumed in Queenstown yesterday after a five-week break. Under the proposed plan change, 15ha could be rezoned, controversial new height limits for buildings approved and a convention centre granted for the resort.
The ''witness conferencing'' was convened by the council a fortnight ago at the suggestion of commissioners Sir John Hansen and Jane Taylor.
Urban planner Ian Munro, speaking on behalf of Brecon St Partnership, said a ''clearer and simpler solution'' to that of the council was to focus the expansion of the town centre zone into the Isle St and Brecon St areas.
Mr Munro suggested the creation of a sub-zone in the western part of the Lakeview site that provided for a convention centre, visitor accommodation, residential activity and limited commercial development supporting those activities.
That allowed the council to pursue its preferred site for a convention centre while preventing the ''proliferation of general commercial activity away from the town centre that is of concern to a number of submitters''.
Mr Munro's comments were part of a submission in support of increasing from 12m to 24m the proposed height level for 34 Brecon St at the eastern end of the Lakeview site.
Environmental law specialist Mike Holm, representing Memorial Properties Ltd, said what should have been a ''relatively straightforward planning exercise'' had become a ''convoluted and confused mix of purposes and aspirations''.
He also suggested the creation of a special convention centre zone that would allow associated accommodation and commercial activities.
''The future scale and direction of the growth of the existing town centre would be left to more orderly consideration by the upcoming district plan review.''
Traffic effects from such development could be assessed in the context of a future transport strategy soon to be put up for public consultation, he said.
Representing the council, Janette Campbell said that with the benefit of submissions and evidence heard to date, the council was recommending changes to the version of plan change 50 notified last year.
These included excluding the western end of the Lakeview zone, also known as the Lynch block, from town centre zoning and reinstating its high density residential zoning.
The status of a convention centre, visitor accommodation and other commercial activity over 400sq m in floor area in the Lakeview zone had changed from ''controlled'' to ''restricted discretionary'', which required an assessment of traffic effects to be provided as part of the resource consent process.
The hearing is expected to run for another two days.
Timeline
July 2014: Queenstown Lakes District Council initiates plan change 50, a proposal to rezone about 15ha of land as town centre. This includes the mainly council-owned Lakeview site, earmarked for a convention centre and other redevelopment.
September 13: Plan change 50 publicly notified.
October 10: Closing date for public submissions.
December 2014 until tomorrow: Public hearings on plan change 50.
