Letters: Koutu hotel will create traffic problems

Te Koutu resident Natalie Richards with her son, Steven, objecting against a proposed hotel to be built in her street. PHOTO/FILE

In her November 11 letter Deidre Barnett suggests the 120 Koutu residents objecting to a proposed hotel in their suburb landscape and develop the site.

A nice idea, yes, but Ms Barnett is obviously unaware the land involved is privately owned - presently by the hotel's would-be developers.

Accordingly her concern that in its present state it is an eyesore and health hazard should be directed to these owners.

In response to the correspondent's claim that she lives in an area where there are three boutique hotels that haven't created traffic problems, may I respectfully point out that this planned development is for a 100-room complex with associated facilities principally catering for coach tour groups.

These large buses will have to negotiate the notoriously difficult Bennetts Rd-Koutu Rd-Panui Rd intersection in an area where there are no pedestrian crossings to access the well-used Karenga Park and associated Youth Space.

The developer's agents set the figure at 108 vehicle movements per day to and from the hotel. One can be reasonably confident this traffic flow in an area zoned Residential A is far greater than that which three boutique hotels generate.

JILL NICHOLAS QSM
Koutu

I am amazed at how many ways our council can find to waste ratepayers' money. Another great example has popped up in the McIntyre Reserve.

Council is putting in a concrete cycle way though the reserve approximately 200 metres long.

This is obviously a major project that in my view should take less than a week but council must believe it will take much longer as in their wisdom they have gone to extra expense to erect two large signs.

If this was a multi million-dollar project I could understand. Wonder what they cost.

GARY TRELOAR
Rotorua