Officials check out tourist hotel site

Planning commissioners yesterday visited a central Auckland site where a developer wants to build a hotel over an access way.

Panel chairman David Kirkpatrick said the panel wanted to see the site after hearing evidence about the project's bid for resource consent, including the concerns of the Beaumont Quarter Residents' Society.

Members live in 258 apartment units next to the vacant site proposed for a Quest tourist hotel, by the heritage Auckland Gas building and across the road from Victoria Park's skateboard facility.

Mr Kirkpatrick said he and commissioners Faye Storer and David Mead had driven along Fisher Point Drive to the apartment enclave.

The developer plans to move the drive northwards by 5m and build four floors of hotel above. The 6m wide drive bisects the 400sq m site and the developer said building over it would make the most use of the site and align the road with the certificate of title from the original subdivision.

Lawyer for the residents' society, Jeremy Brabant, said the effect of construction activity on Fisher Point Drive and the access it gave to the basement parking of one apartment block was of concern.

This needed to be appropriately addressed through conditions of consent, if resource consent was granted.

But the society cannot get developer Beaumont Trading to agree to provide alternative parking nearby when the right of way is blocked by construction.

The developer is not ruling out an alternative.

Planning consultant Gary Deeney said during construction there would be times during a 10- to 12-week period when access to one apartment block's carparking was not available.

However, finding alternative parking for residents was a matter for negotiation rather than a condition of the resource consent.

Mr Brabant said the condition was reasonable and related directly to the impact of the proposed works.

Residents wanted sufficient notice of closure of Fisher Point Drive access and certainty that they could go about their business with as little disruption as possible.

The hearing was adjourned because the commissioners wanted to get updated information during the week.