Couple appeals snubbed bid to transform store

Neil Engebretsen and Yumin Song are disappointed their neighbours are opposing their application to open a new cafe and store at Taurikura. Photo / John Stone

A couple who have run a small Whangarei Heads general store for seven years are disgruntled some neighbours are against their attempt to shift the business.

Neil Engebretsen and Yumin Song are appealing to Whangarei District Council's hearing commissioner, after council planners recommended their proposal to reopen Taurikura General Store with a new cafe attached be rejected.

Mr Engebretsen, who lives on the site of the new store, said he was surprised when 11 neighbours, four adjacent to his property, submitted to council opposing the project.

He had spoken to "heaps of people" in the community before lodging his resource consent application, all of whom had been supportive, he said.

The previous premises Mr Engebretsen and Ms Song leased at 2311 Whangarei Heads Rd as Taurikura General Store was no longer suitable due to traffic and parking constraints.

The opening of the new store was pitched as a relocation, though it was likely that a new tenant would move into 2311 and set up in competition with the couple.

Mr Engebretsen proposed to convert his new property - about 50m down and across the road - into a 12-seat cafe, general store and post office with 10 on-site carparks. The business would operate between 7am-9pm, seven days a week.

Mr Engebretsen said the prospect of having their plans rejected was "very upsetting".

"It has upset my wife especially because we are very orientated towards the public and people here. We've been open for 12 or 11 hours every day for seven years."

The proposed store is in a District Living 1 Environment, which requires that commercial activities be shielded from view and not operate outside the hours of 8am-6pm. This was the grounds on which the application was initially rejected.

The owners of a seaside holiday property running along the southern boundary of the proposed store site are among those opposing the project.

David Reyburn wrote on behalf of the LR Reyburn Family Trust that they were not informed about the couple's plans until the resource consent application was lodged.

"The proposed licensed indoor-outdoor cafe would have a major impact on the trust's privacy, as it would overlook their backyard," Mr Reyburn wrote in his submission.

He said noise would likely exceed the district plan's maximum allowance for the area and that rubbish and food preparation odour could be an issue.

Neighbours Glen and Noelene MacDonald said the existing store - currently undergoing renovation - was sufficient to meet the needs of the area.

But Mr Engebretsen said the nearest takeaway outlet was at Parua Bay some 15 minutes away, with wait times running into hours in summer months.

He objected to the fact that part-time residents were complaining about the plan.

"I can tell you that 11 people have objections and of that, there's four who do not live here," he said.