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A controversial bid to establish a cafe at Piha on Auckland's west coast has won qualified support from council staff.
Commercial development is not permitted in coastal villages by the Waitakere District Plan.
Cafe promoters, led by television celebrity and former All Black Marc Ellis, say it will fill a gap in facilities for local residents and visitors but opponents say it threatens Piha's allure as a wilderness area.
Later this month commissioners for the Auckland Regional Council and the Waitakere City Council will hear the bid by the company, Preserve Piha.
They will consider 200 submissions, 108 in support and 88 against, drawn by the land use consent application. There are 120 submissions - 46 opposed and 73 in support - on the wastewater discharge consent .
In a report prepared for the hearing, ARC officers say the proposed treatment and disposal system was designed to cope with up to 120 patrons daily. They recommend this number be achieved by a condition of consent which lets the 35-seat cafe only be used between 10am and 5pm.
The officers say the cafe must have signs to advise that toilets are for cafe patrons only.
This is because Piha's lack of public toilets has put the systems of the camping ground and surf club under a lot of stress, causing them to fail in busy summer months.
City council officers say the proposal was assessed for effects on the area and on the unique coastal character of Piha, including looks, noise, odour, privacy, traffic and parking.
In addition, the cafe must be able to be adequately serviced to avoid harming the environment, such as the nearby Piha Lagoon and Piha's outstanding landscape.
Senior resource planner Toni Kennerley says the proposed cafe would be in an existing telephone exchange building and so would fit in with the character of the area.
Any adverse effects could be avoided by imposing conditions including limits of 35 patrons at one time and limiting hours of trading to between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Saturday and closure on Sundays and public holidays.
The planner's report says the scale of the proposal means the cafe will not compromise people's appreciation of Piha or nearby sites.
Some cafe supporters said Piha could be an isolating place to live and that the cafe would provide an important gathering place for families during the day in an alcohol-free atmosphere.
A partner in Preserve Piha, Andy Higgs, said it hoped commissioners would let the cafe operate from 7am to 7pm in the summer so that it could cater for the "early breakfast market", including surfers.
