Last year, Australian-based developer Duffy Krook, director of Varina Pty Ltd, applied to build a non-complying three-unit apartment building behind the former Wanaka Medical Centre in the middle of a triangular residential block bound by Russell and Chalmers Sts and Stratford Tce. A unit title subdivision of the three units was also proposed.
However, after a hearing in June, independent commissioners declined land use and subdivision consents for the proposal because the breaches of height, building footprint and building coverage standards, combined with inadequacies in landscaping, made the building too big for the site.
Varina Pty in August lodged an appeal against the decision to decline consent.
Paterson Pitts planner Duncan White, representing Varina Pty, said negotiations between the parties subsequently took place and a consent memorandum, which proposed to resolve the appeal, was signed off by an Environment Court consent order released last week.
Mr White said the main change to the original design of the building was an alteration to the roof line, to being a gabled style, not flat, as it had been previously.
The original application had been notified on a limited basis to surrounding neighbours and attracted two submissions, including one in opposition from neighbours Denis and Olwyn Pezaro. The revised design plan had gained the submitters' approval, Mr White said.
Mr Krook said it was "good that we finally have permission", but at the same time "most unfortunate that we had to go to court".
He said work on the apartment building was likely to begin next year, once his redevelopment of the former Wanaka Youth Hostel site in Upton St into four town houses for visitor accommodation was completed
