A median strip for angle parking in Ardmore St, Wanaka, has been removed from the Queenstown Lakes District Council's Wanaka town centre character guideline after submissions raised concerns.
The guideline will be discussed at next week's strategy committee meeting, with the recommendation for the report to be received and the guideline adopted subject to final formatting.
In his report to the committee, urban designer Nick Karlovsky said the council adopted the Wanaka town centre strategy in October 2009, identifying the "character of the town centre" as one of the project areas to be addressed.
The primary objectives were to define and enhance the built character of Wanaka's town centre and define and enhance the streetscape character, with particular attention to street lighting, flood mitigation, seating and street trees.
In March this year, the strategy committee approved the draft Wanaka town centre character guideline for consultation, with 27 submissions received.
Of those, 18 raised concerns about the proposed layout of upper Ardmore St, particularly relating to the introduction of a median strip for angle parking.
"Objections ranged from safety for pedestrians crossing in the vicinity of the Plunket building, reduction in numbers of parked cars outside business premises and interrupting views to the lake by planting trees down the median.
"Eight of those same submissions, however, did support the concept of improving the amenity and character values of upper Ardmore," Mr Karlovsky said.
Subsequently, the parking median strip had been dropped and angle parking retained along both sides of Brownston St.
A change in "colour, texture and/or material" was introduced between the parking and traffic lanes and street trees were introduced to "close the traffic lanes along both sides".
"Both these measures would assist in breaking up the perceived width of the street and in calming traffic, while avoiding the concerns raised by submitters," Mr Karlovsky said.
Alexandra schist has been added to the list of local sources of schist in response to a suggestion from the urban design panel.
