The Wanaka Community Board has backed the Wanaka Rowing Club's bid to build a boatshed near Morrows Mead on the western side of Lake Wanaka - the fourth site proposal considered by the board - despite some concerns over vehicle access.
In the public forum at the community board's meeting this week, Wanaka Residents Association president Graham Dickson said the Morrows Mead site would have "considerable access needs" during construction of the boatshed and for transportation of rowing skiffs to and from the site for regattas, which could be disruptive to neighbours.
"On top of that there'll be considerable parking generation. And we must recognise the timing of this parking could be early in the morning when people are still trying to sleep," Mr Dickson said.
"I believe that before approval is given to this site, it needs to be shown how access will be provided and what its effects will be."
Mr Dickson said while the association was "fully supportive" of the club's need for a lakeside boatshed, it was important to avoid a repeat of its earlier Stoney Creek site proposal problems, in which it withdrew its application during the public consultation phase because of strong objections from neighbours.
"We must make sure that when we get into the next stage of the process all the ducks are in a row."
Dan Egerton, of the council's property management company APL, was confident vehicle access issues at the site could be alleviated so neighbours would not be affected.
He said rowers could use a car park at the end of Morrows Mead, a short distance from where the proposed boatshed would be built.
Rowing club captain Amanda Inkster said the competitive rowing season was short, from February to March, and included only six or seven regattas requiring boat trailers for rowing skiff transportation.
Trailers would typically be loaded the day before a regatta at a reasonable time in the afternoon and at a site "generally not next to the rowing club", so disruption to neighbours would be minimal.
"There's no real reason to drive the trailer in that [lakeside] reserve at all," Mrs Inkster said.
The club would also encourage rowers to park their cars at the Stoney Creek car park and run along the lakefront track to the boat shed as a warm up for training sessions.
"And a number of the kids run or cycle down, anyway."
Mrs Inkster emphasised the staged building would initially be just a boatshed and training room, with toilets and showers, and would not include a function room, as originally proposed.
Club committee member Nick Blennerhassett said consultation by the club with neighbours of the Morrows Mead site had been "generally positive".
The board approved notification of Council's intention to grant a lease to the rowing club at the site at Morrows Mead and appointed board members Jude Battson and Ken Copland to hear the submissions and make a recommendation to Council.
