Commercial precinct plan revised

A developer has got rid of planned visitor accommodation units in a commercial precinct proposed in a residential subdivision.

Shotover Country Ltd lodged its subdivision and land-use consent application to establish the mixed-use precinct late last year.

It proposed to subdivide the site, on the corner of Stalker and Cheltenham Rds, into two.

On the 2256sq m site a commercial building with two ground-floor tenancies, including a cafe/restaurant was planned, above which seven visitor accommodation units - three one-bedroom and four two-bedroom - were initially mooted, along with a playground. Six two-bedroom residential units were planned on the 932sq m site.

However, since lodging a consent application, Shotover Country revised its plan, initially removing three of the visitor accommodation units, and replacing them with office space, before scrapping them entirely.

That followed a suggestion from the Queenstown Lakes District Council to convert all the units into office space amid concerns about the limited amount of "neighbourhood retail" proposed.

In an email to the applicant, sent last month, council planner Jacob Neaves said the district plan sought to "enable and encourage the development of a community which is not just a residential area".

"We need to ensure the area of small-scale neighbourhood retail will adequately service the needs of the existing and future local community.

"That community has already grown to an extent not originally anticipated by the zone structure plan with increased density in areas ...

"This application now proposes to decrease the commercial area, contrary to the zone growth.

"This is one of the last areas to be developed and the final result will be an integral part of Shotover Country and how the community operates."

Mr Neaves said it would be "prudent" to ensure there was adequate provision for commercial/retail space to cater to the future community once the subdivision was fully developed.

If the neighbourhood retail did not sufficiently service the community, residents would commute to other areas which would result in "adverse effects on the wider transport network".

A report obtained from Colliers International, which formed part of the application, noted the 280sq m cafe/bar was a "large space" and might be better suited to two or three smaller units "due to the overall high quantum of rental which may be difficult to sustain in a residential environment".

There was good demand for "affordable" commercial units for smaller owner-operators and start-up businesses and there would likely be interest from professionals and "community-oriented tenants".

However, it cautioned the configuration of the property would need to be "carefully considered" and of a suitable scale to attract long-term tenants and be commercially viable.

Subject to changes made to the application it may be processed on a non-notified basis.

Shotover Country Ltd development manager Kristan Stalker said subject to consent, work would begin on the site "as soon as possible".

"The feedback we've had from a lot of people is they want to see a cafe and a convenience store in the [neighbourhood]."

At present there is a cafe/restaurant and store, The Hayes, in Lake Hayes Estate, and one planned at neighbouring Brides-dale Farm in the Red Cottage.

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement