Trade competition allegations were made during the first day of a hearing yesterday over a proposed 260-room hotel in Kelvin Heights.
Lakes Edge Developments Ltd, which is owned by Queenstown developer Chris Meehan, wants to build a hotel, The Terraces Hotel, on land behind the Hilton Queenstown and DoubleTree hotels, which are owned by Kawarau Village Holdings Ltd.
Counsel Warwick Goldsmith, on behalf of the applicant company, asked chairwoman Jan Caunter and commissioner Lee Beattie to acknowledge as relevant that Kawarau Village Holdings was a ``trade competitor'' and to dismiss its concerns.
The concerns include privacy for Hilton and DoubleTree guests, traffic and breaches of the building height restrictions.
Mr Goldsmith acknowledged the plans breached some bulk and location standards, including height.
``On the issue of privacy of hotel rooms - and putting to one side the fact that many of those hotel windows adjoin corridors - occupants of the complying building would be higher than, and would look down into, those Hilton and Double Tree hotel rooms anyway,'' he said.
He said Kawarau Village Holdings' concerns regarding traffic were exaggerated, and came from a ``trade competitor'' rather than being ``genuine environmental concerns''.
In his opening submission Mr Goldsmith also acknowledged what had been achieved.
``There is always a danger that a focus on matters in contention can overshadow the fact that a proposal is largely compliant with the relevant planning environment, which is the case today,'' he said.
Lakes Edge traffic expert Andy Carr was asked by commissioners whether parking for the proposed hotel, in particular disabled parking, was adequate and whether there would be dedicated disabled spaces along with planned stacking car parks.
Mr Carr described it as an ``over-sized Lego set'' and said that a proposed valet system would be able to cope with vehicle demand.
Coach parking, shuttle bus drop-off, pedestrian access and footpath markings were also discussed.
Kawarau Village Holdings engaged urban designer Kobus Mentz ahead of the hearing.
Urban design and architectural consultant Gerald Barratt-Boyes questioned Mr Mentz's proposed change to the hotel design, which included setting back the upper floors.
``At face value this appears not to lose any rooms. However, the size, number of rooms and essential hotel facilities are materially affected ... The overall gross floor area loss resulting from this change is approximately 250sq m.
Joshua Leckie, who owns an apartment in Alpine Lakes Dr, also gave evidence yesterday.
He described it as a positive application but suggested a ``few tweaks'', citing concerns regarding Saturday construction during the hotel build, damage to the existing road and non-compliance from vehicles parking and off-loading passengers at the existing hotels and apartments.
The hearing continues today.
