Wanaka property owners and brothers Owen and Eric Hopgood have declined to confirm their plans to convert the McKenzie and Willis building on Ardmore St into a fast food restaurant with drive-through access.
The Hopgoods' company, Invincible Resources No 2 Ltd, has applied for resource consent to alter the exterior of the building for a fast food restaurant, but is silent about the restaurant's identity or when it might move in.
According to the application lodged on September 29, the restaurant would occupy the first floor of the building, the former Barrows Hotel, presently tenanted by the McKenzie and Willis furniture store.
McKenzie and Willis general manager Bill Willis could not be contacted to discuss the company's tenancy yesterday and the Hopgood brothers have refused to discuss it.
Wanaka store manager Lisa Gordon said she did not know anything about the restaurant plans and referred the Otago Daily Times to Owen Hopgood or his planner, Brett Giddens, of Lakes Consulting Group in Queenstown.
Mr Giddens said he could not comment on present or future tenants.
"I simply don't have that information. It is a pretty straightforward application. Any resource consent doesn't have to be implemented for five years. In essence, it allows for future-proofing of that site," Mr Giddens said.
In a related matter, Wanaka Community Board members yesterday were disappointed when Queenstown Lakes District Council project manager Rob Darby confirmed construction of a $2.25 million traffic roundabout outside the Hopgoods' building would not start until next year because of design issues.
The Hopgoods want access provided to their building off the Ardmore St-Brownston St roundabout but the council and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) fear this will encourage other intersection neighbours to also seek an access, creating an ill-defined and broad intersection.
Mr Darby said the issue could be resolved but he did not know when.
The Hopgoods have also refused to discuss the roundabout with the Otago Daily Times.
Mr Giddens said the QLDC needed to send his clients updated designs before a resolution could be reached.
"We were supposed to have them weeks ago," he said.
Mr Darby said he last updated Mr Giddens by email on September 14 that there was no resolution to the design and the council was waiting on the NZTA to assess several issues regarding access to the McKenzie and Willis building, including short and long term solutions.
That situation had not changed, Mr Darby said.
The NZTA had the final call on the design because the intersection was on a state highway and there were issues of common good and safety, he said.
The Hopgoods' application for changes to the building facade for a fast food restaurant was the clearest indication yet of what the owners plan for their building.
