The avenue of plane trees is listed in the Queenstown Lakes District Council district plan as a protected feature but there is some debate whether the plan covers some individual European ash trees near the development site.
Stoney Creek Village Ltd applied for resource consent for the retirement village at the end of last month and Lakes Environmental planners are now assessing the application.
If the proposal goes ahead as suggested by the Auckland-based company, at least three European ashes in a row of 20 may need to come out to provide for a new access off Mt Aspiring Rd.
Council parks manager Gordon Bailey advised Lakes Environmental planner Kirsty Huxford in an email the trees were protected.
He also said the public would assume they were protected, "even if the plan is not overly clear".
"I would only possibly agree to one tree being removed.
The other two are probably the best specimens of ash on the entire road," Mr Bailey said.
Ms Huxford has advised the developer's planners, Mark Brown and Daniel Hames, she does not think the trees are protected but she will be seeking clarification.
The retirement village is the third proposed for Wanaka in recent times.
Retired farmers Peter and Dee Gordon have been planning a lifestyle village accessed from Golf Course Rd and Cardrona Valley Rd for several years and recently obtained a plan change to enable them to proceed to the next stage of applying for consent and seeking investors.
The Gordons' land is also earmarked for a new combined health centre.
Presbyterian Support Services intends to begin building a stand-alone 24-unit retirement village next to Elmslie House next year and is seeking expressions of interest from buyers.
The development has resource consent.
Stoney Creek Village Ltd was incorporated in August last year.
The directors are Anthony Charles Russell Hannon, Christopher Alan Holmes, Allen Patrick Peters and Steven Shane Thomas, all of Auckland.
The shareholders are companies associated with Mr Hannon, David Peter Scott, Mr Peters, Barbara Noeline Peters and Mr Thomas.
Stoney Creek Retirement Village is destined for the corner of Meadowstone and Kelliher Drives, opposite Tapley Paddock.
Queenstown architect David Stringer has designed the complex, comprising 10 buildings of two or three levels.
The plans show 97 two-bedroom units, with 36 at ground level, 47 at first level and 14 at second level.
There are 90 car parks and ancillary facilities, such as administration, lounges, a gym, pool, library and "village green".
The retirement village would not provide advanced care facilities and would be operated under an occupation right agreement, whereby residents pay a lump sum for their unit and a weekly management fee.
Issues being addressed by Lakes Environmental staff include flooding protection in Stoney Creek, landscaping and other environmental effects.
The buildings marginally breach the 8m height limit in some places, which the applicant describes as "minor transgressions".
The considerable variation in size and scale of the 10 buildings, providing an overall effect of a small scale development more akin to the surrounding residential neighbourhood, the application says.
The Wanaka Urban Design Panel viewed the plans in December last year and has provided feedback to the developers.
The application will be notified in due course.
