Safety a subdivision worry

John Cochrane
John Cochrane
Safety was the biggest concern of local residents voicing their opinions at a resource consent hearing in Milton yesterday.

About 20 people crammed into the community chambers at the Coronation Hall in Milton for a hearing on an application to subdivide a section at Toko Mouth.

The application for resource consent to subdivide the 4.6ha site in Coast Rd at Toko Mouth was made by Simon and Jo Davies, of Toko Developments Ltd.

The hearing panel was made up of Clutha District councillors Bruce Vollweiler and John Cochrane and former councillor Jeff McKenzie.

Toko Mouth resident Dawn Lloyd said she did not oppose the subdivision as a whole but was concerned the resource consent sought access to the subdivision via Toko Mouth Domain Rd. That would increase traffic and become a safety hazard to the many pedestrians and to the young cyclists in the area.

Resident David Gerken agreed access to the subdivision should not be in Toko Mouth Domain Rd for similar reasons.

``It's [the applicant's] subdivision, so why should we suffer for it?''

There was no space to widen the road to deal with any increase in traffic.

Resource management consultant Emma Peters said there were no viable alternative options for access to the subdivision other than the one applied for.

Other issues raised at the hearing included dust, sediments and noise extra traffic would generate.

There was concern approving the subdivision would create a precedent.

Council planning officer Morgan Ramsay recommended the application be approved on certain conditions which included the arrangement of electricity to the residential allotments, provisions on access and limitations on dwelling and fauna height.

The eight residential lots created in the subdivision would vary in size from 1500sq m to 1710sq m while a ninth larger allotment would be used for grazing and farming.

The hearing adjourned at 4pm.

The panel will convene in a public-excluded meeting and make a decision in the next few weeks.

samuel.white@odt.co.nz

Add a Comment