While the council voted to accept the hearing panel's recommendations on stage one of the plan, Cr Scott Stevens expressed disquiet with one aspect on urban development and landscape as it applied to Arrowtown.
The council's acceptance of stage one means decisions would now be notified and open to appeal.
"From my point of view, and being a representative of the whole district, it is great that we've got it [the proposed plan] to this stage - it's a huge undertaking," Cr Stevens said.
"But then from my ward councillor position I'm very disappointed, and in fact it's horrifying to see a [decision] around urban [development] that the commissioners have taken which wasn't what the council had proposed."
On any proposition Arrowtown would become a suburb of Queenstown Cr Stevens was adamant: "We never have been and we never will be."
Stage one of the plan comprises 32 "chapters" providing the framework for the remainder of the proposed plan. It encompasses residential, rural and commercial zones, designations and maps, relating to more than 90% of the district's land.
After the meeting, Cr Stevens told the Otago Daily Times it appeared as though commissioners had "struck out" aspects of the urban development chapter as it related to Arrowtown. The council had "taken a position" on this.
"Arrowtown had its own objectives in that chapter - such things as being sensitive to the existing Arrowtown character ... sympathetic design, particularly in the proposed medium-density zone.
"To me, it reads as though they have just rolled Arrowtown into the council objective for the whole Wakatipu basin, as far as growth and urban development is concerned.
"That, to me, reads as though they consider Arrowtown to be just another suburb of Queenstown.
"It's an established township, in its own right, and has been since 1862."
In response to a question from Cr Stevens during yesterday's meeting, council policy planning manager Ian Bayliss said anyone who had submitted on the proposed district plan could appeal aspects of it to the Environment Court within 30 working days.
Submitters could join forces to appeal, however, it was a "challenging process", he said.
Cr Stevens told the ODT once appeals were lodged "negotiations start".
"The council might say `We're not taking this any further' or `We'll compromise'.
"It's down to whether or not a submitter lodges and appeals and then the question is, will council support that appeal?"
