One of two possible Oamaru harbourside sections slated for accommodation appears to have a developer interested.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher confirmed at a public-excluded council meeting this week that the Waitaki District Council had directed chief executive Fergus Power to enter negotiations with a preferred developer.
He would not discuss details about the proposal the council had selected for the site, citing commercial confidentiality.
"We think it’s something that’s going to be in keeping with that area. We’re very mindful of the visual effects, particularly on the immediate neighbours, but also for the wider public in the context of the precinct," Mr Kircher said.
"We’re confident that this is not going to be a situation such as maybe demonstrated in Dunedin in recent times."
The council called for expressions of interest in two council harbourside properties — a 7400sq m site in Esplanade Dr and a 6200sq m site in Tyne St — this winter, but Mr Kircher said he was not at liberty to say which of the two sites the accommodation development was slated for.
"Once the deal is signed, then we can be public about it. Until then, there’s a lot of commercial confidentiality around it. I just want to assure ratepayers that we are doing our best to act in their best interest and that we are mindful of the context that this development is going into."
In a public forum before the decision, the sites’ context was addressed by longtime heritage advocate Graeme Clark, of Oamaru, who asked the council to form a "small design group" including architects or Heritage New Zealand representatives with a knowledge of Oamaru heritage.
The development would have a "long-term effect" on the landscape and it was "important to get it right".
Mr Kircher has said new visitor accommodation at the harbour would represent "transformational change" and "a multimillion-dollar investment" in the Heritage New Zealand-listed area.
Cr Colin Wollstein told Mr Clark the council was "conscious" about the need to meet the "demands of the area" yet cautioned it was a private development.
