The council is inviting feedback on its draft town centre strategy, which seeks to protect the special character of the central business district while encouraging diversity in the area and maintaining its relevance to the community.
The draft strategy also aims to reduce the dominance of vehicles without compromising access and address the future expansion of the town centre.
Tomorrow's Queenstown Community Plan predicted that 3300 people will work in the CBD by 2020, 1.5 times the total today.
A drop-in session will be held at the council chambers on Gorge Rd on Wednesday, June 24, from 3pm to 7pm.
Queenstown Lakes District Council strategy committee chairwoman Gillian MacLeod told the Queenstown Times the draft strategy was a discussion document and public interest would be gauged by the numbers attending the drop-in session.
"Queenstown's a great place for tourists, but we're worried it's becoming a glittering bauble with no relevance to the community. Visitors sense that.
"You need to have locals there to give it a village feel, and it's what successful tourist towns struggle with all the time."
The Queenstown Chamber of Commerce has taken an interest in the draft strategy. It was being reviewed by a board member and will be discussed at the next board meeting on July 1.
President Alastair Porter said the chamber was neutral on the draft but confirmed it would make a submission.
Mrs Macleod said it was important the council remained the "anchor tenant" in the CBD.
She said she had always personally seen Queenstown as the arts capital and Frankton as the sports capital of the Wakatipu.
When asked for an update on the proposed Pokapu Kawarau Remarkables Civic Centre, Mrs Macleod said, "The need is there, the will is there, but not the money at this point."
The chairwoman said she was particularly interested in hearing feedback on the direction Gorge Rd would take.
"Where is it going, as many functions have relocated to Frankton? Will it become a mixed commercial residential area, or get town centre creep?"
Mrs Macleod said submissions would be tabled at the next strategy committee meeting for discussion, amendment or adoption. Submissions would inform the council's approach to noise issues, upgrades of public spaces, the proposed Athol St public transport terminal and future rezoning outside the town centre.
Feedback must be received by the council by July 17. Copies of the strategy are available at the council office or online at www.qldc.govt.nz.
"Queenstown is the linchpin of our tourist economy and keeping it active and vibrant is essential and not as a hollow effigy to tourism," Mrs Macleod said.
"It's important people speak up and say what would make the town centre more relevant to them."
Proposed initiatives
• A public transport hub on the QLDC owned Athol St car park, with improved pedestrian access, increased open space, improved views and further opening of Horne Creek.
• Increased recreational use of Queenstown Bay.
• More spaces shared by vehicles and pedestrians, such as Beach, Brecon and Duke Sts.
• Possible town centre expansion on Brecon St and the triangle of land between Robins Rd and Gorge Rd.
• Consider provision of extra floor space by allowing greater building height within zoned areas or areas of expansion.
• Development of guides for streetscape design, to create distinctive streets, and for private design responses to flood mitigation, for consistency.
• Set aside areas for street entertainers.
• Protection of existing pedestrian lanes between CBD blocks.
• Cow Lane and Searle Lane have potential for future redevelopment into vibrant spaces.
