Studies under way into New Brighton high-rises
More than 350 people braved a cold, rainy night recently to hear about Council plans to review the City Plan rules controlling high-rise apartment blocks on Marine Parade.
The City Plan currently allows six- to seven-storey residential apartment blocks in the business area of the mall, with buildings limited to three storeys in the Living 3 zone that fronts Marine Parade from Rawhiti Domain south to Shackleton Street.
The study is to look at whether or not the height limits in these areas are still appropriate.
The 21 March meeting was the start of a long consultation process during which the public will have several opportunities to have their say.
The research is an indirect result of a 2002 consultation with the New Brighton community to develop the New Brighton Master Plan. This was an informal process that produced community ideas to help revitalise a flagging community centre.
One idea is to help rejuvenate the sea front and mall area with high residential density — allowing more five- to seven-storey apartment developments near the mall.
Since 2002, the Council has been approached by a number of developers keen to build such apartments in the Marine Parade area. At the moment, developers can apply for resource consents to breach the current City Plan controls.
Rather than address these developers in a series of resource consents, the Council decided to consult the community and investigate the potential of environmental effects in this high-interest area through a single, comprehensive study.
The meeting introduced consultants Boffa Miskell, who will lead a team to prepare a series of technical reports looking at issues like visual and landscape impacts, shading, transport, geotechnical and hazard issues, and infrastructure capacity.
The studies will be completed by the end of May, with another public meeting planned to then report back the findings and receive public response. Another report will then be prepared by August to meet a Resource Management Act requirement for clear evidence that any proposed plan change is justified.
If Council decides that the City Plan should be amended, these proposed changes will be publicly notified to give everyone an opportunity to make formal submissions, with these submissions then considered at a public hearing. |
