Dunedin city councillors took in their first days of a week-long hearing on the future of the city yesterday, the first 30 or so residents giving their thoughts on a draft spatial plan.
While Mayor Dave Cull has said the plan was more of an overarching "vision" for the city, plenty of submitters came to argue for changes specific to their own property.
Mr Cull explained to each their concerns would have to be redirected to staff, something he promised to do.
The day's first submission was from Larry Nichvolodov, who had come to Dunedin from Canada, bought a home in City Rise, and wanted the plan to help keep the "character" of the area.
He hoped reuse of heritage buildings could be pushed in the plan, and urged the committee not to allow high-density housing in the city.
Cr Jinty MacTavish raised questions the plan was attempting to deal with, when she noted neither urban sprawl, nor intensification of building in the city was a popular concept, but an answer had to be found to increased housing needs.
Cr Kate Wilson noted affordable, warm housing was needed, and asked Mr Nichvolodov his thoughts on older housing like his own.
He said he had insulated his home as he made improvements, which had increased the temperature inside by up to 5%.
Former Otago Peninsula Community Board chairwoman Irene Scurr agreed with the idea of in-filling of existing centres.
On the peninsula, she said it was important to encourage housing development around existing villages, but to protect the green spaces between them.
There were plenty of properties that could be used within those villages, but council hearings committees kept allowing people to build outside them, saying it was "just one more".
"We've had so many 'just one mores' it's ridiculous."
Retired council surveyor Thomas Hendry said the city gave some old buildings more heritage value than they were worth.
"The city would benefit if they were replaced with modern buildings that show the city is progressing."
Consultant Louise Taylor's submission for Nichols Property Group said the area around the group's garden centre off Andersons Bay Rd was progressively becoming a centre for large-format retail.
The spatial plan recognised there would be more need for such activity, but it was not clear where it should be.
She asked for consolidation of the Andersons Bay Rd and Crawford St areas for that purpose.
Otago Fish and Game Council chief executive Niall Watson said the city's network of unformed and partially formed public roads was particularly important for public access and recreation. They also formed a component of habitat for fish and wildlife, and clear objectives were needed for their use.
Some submitters came with individual issues for their properties, including one family with a property that was part rural zone and part residential zone.
Another had a property zoned rural, when the other properties in his street were residential, while a Company Bay woman wanted to subdivide her land, but was unable to.
Mr Cull told all the committee could not rule on such detail, but it could direct staff to deal with an issue, and that would probably be done after deliberation.
A submission from Fresh Choice supermarket owner Brent Chirnside raised concerns his business was providing parking for other small businesses in Roslyn, and he wanted city planners to consider the lack of parking and "leave the developed area as it is".
The hearing continues today.
