Many submitters like it ? but the experts don't ? so a development in Wanganui's Old Town area is still hanging in the balance.
The proposed development comprises a new apartment/retail building at 45-47 Ridgway St and the demolition or alteration of buildings to the rear of 40 and 42 Victoria Ave.
Consent for it was sought by Oakland Properties Ltd, an umbrella company owned by Wanganui lawyer Peter Robinson and family and the family of Manawatu farmer Eric Nelson.
The Ridgway St buildings would fill part of the gap left after the disastrous Ridgway St fire in 1994.
The 42 Victoria Ave building housed the former Phoenix Wine & Spirit Co Ltd and, in the early 1900s, the fashionable Melbourne House Drapery.
Behind it and 40 Victoria Ave were a total of four brick buildings.
The demolition of three of these was proposed, and the partial demolition and alteration of the fourth.
Two resource consents were sought, one for the Ridgway St buildings and the other for the Victoria Ave buildings.
Submissions for the two were notified on July 9.
The Ridgway St buildings attracted 15 submissions.
Mainstreet's design heritage committee opposed the consent, two other submitters opposed it in part and eight supported it, while three had no objections.
The Victoria Ave consent received 20 submissions ? four totally opposing it, four partially opposing it and 10 supporting it.
In both cases Wanganui District Council has recommended that the consents be declined.
The reasons given in council reports are:
+ the loss of heritage values/demolition of buildings would have adverse effects
+ the new buildings would not maintain the Old Town streetscape.
Normally the matter of the development would now progress to a hearing, but in this case a pre-hearing meeting has been proposed.
If the parties can come to agreement at this meeting the recommendations from council could be changed and the reports re-written.
No date has been set for the pre-hearing meeting.
Building project hangs in balance
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