The "unusual quality" of a residential subdivision in Wanaka and its special design concept have helped its developers secure resource consent from the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Independent commissioners Jane Taylor and Leigh Overton have granted consent for Crescent Investments to proceed with its plans for the first of a three-stage development on land at Kirimoko Cres.
Crescent, a company directed by John May, of Wanaka, and Don Church, of Ashburton, is developing a 51-lot freehold subdivision which includes 37 residential allotments and associated infrastructure.
The subdivision drew criticism from opposing submitters at a two-day hearing in Wanaka in August for its section sizes - 31 of which are under the 700sq m minimum as prescribed in the council's district plan.
The commissioners said the subdivision has an "unusual quality" which justified a departure from the zone standards of the district plan.
"We agree ... that district plans should reflect a balance between sustainability and the right to use and develop land for community purposes.
"However, they are, and can only be crude tools ...
"[Crescent] has, in fact, significantly refined this tool by replacing the more generic provisions of the district plan with site specific provisions."
Crescent adopted an "integrated development programme" for the subdivision which consisted of a "massively complex" project of individually assessing each lot and providing for non-negotiable specific building platforms.
The subdivision has been designed to consider the positioning and interaction of each residential lot by assessing ground contours and fitting building platforms within the site's landscape to guarantee view-shafts and sunlight planes.
Crescent had offered a comprehensive suite of covenants and consent conditions, the commissioners said.
