Massive Music School has a new sign after what Daniel Scannell said was an "arduous and expensive" process to get consent from Hastings District Council. Photo / Warren Buckland
Massive Music School has a new sign after what Daniel Scannell said was an "arduous and expensive" process to get consent from Hastings District Council. Photo / Warren Buckland
A Hastings music school's quirky dinosaur sign isn't the only one that will have to change to comply with the vibe of the heritage precinct.
Tukituki MP Anna Lorck's office has also been caught out by the district plan rules on Queen St East.
Massive Music School was started byDaniel Scannell, a former New Zealand School of Music student, earlier this year to provide a space for children in the community to learn an instrument.
Massive Music School's old sign featured a colourful, guitar-playing, lizard-like "monster" with a moustache to make music "fun", Daniel Scannell said. Photo / NZME
Last week a new, council-approved sign went up outside after what Scannell described as an "arduous and expensive" process.
As part of this he contacted a consultant, hired a graphic designer and had to pay a $1000 resource consent application to the council, which he felt was a lot for "a little start-up".
Scannell acknowledged that the new sign was "better" and hoped it would last several years.
Hastings District Council told Daniel Scannell of Massive Music School to remove the sign in April, as it lacked the resource consent necessary for buildings in the heritage precinct. Photo / NZME
However, he still felt he had been "shafted" during the compliance management process.
Scannell wasn't the only one out of luck with the council over consenting compliance.
Across the road, Lorck was also informed by the council in early May that her sign did not meet district plan requirements for the heritage-listed building.
The council's group manager planning and regulatory services, John O'Shaughnessy, said the rules were more specific due to the heritage status, and that resource consent was required to erect any advertising devices or signs on the building or to remediate existing signs that are non-compliant.
The sign outside Tukituki MP Anna Lorck's Queen St offices has also found to be non-compliant. Photo / Warren Buckland
He said a resource consent had not yet been submitted by Lorck, but there had been several discussions between her and the council regarding designs, size and location of signage to rectify the issue.
"At this stage we do not have any issues with the existing signs remaining in place until this matter is resolved."
He confirmed Massive Music was the only other business in the area that had been in a similar predicament and that their signage issue had "recently been resolved".
Lorck said she had met with the council and followed the correct process for resource consent application.
"I'm looking forward to having my new signage up soon, including continuing to use some of the same materials that we had already recycled from the previous tenant's original signage that had been on the building."
