Residents of a rural general-zoned subdivision in Wanaka are angered by a proposal to develop land protected at present from further subdivision, a consent hearing heard on Monday.
Grandview Developments Ltd has applied for resource consent to subdivide 4.6ha of land at Heritage Village, off Orchard Rd, to create 15 residential lots with non-compliant building platforms and three access lots.
The company also wants to uplift a condition of the land's original consent notice granted in 2002 which precludes further development of the site.
Queenstown Lakes District Council planner Aaron Burt has recommended consent be granted.
Barry Condon, Charlene Strong and Phil Smith co-own Grandview Developments.
Their proposed subdivision would be accessed via the existing road into Heritage Village, which includes 21 residential units, eight residential lots, Florence's Food Store and Cafe and The Venue event facility.
The proposal was the subject of a resource consent hearing in Wanaka on Monday and has attracted six submissions - five from Heritage Village landowners opposing the development.
The submitters' concerns relate to the proposed change to the subdivision condition and safety issues they believe will arise from increased traffic at the site.
They want an alternative access and parking for the commercial facilities to be located off Cardrona Valley Rd.
Resource management planner Scott Edgar, acting for the applicant, said the Resource Management Act provided for variation or cancellation of consent notice conditions on a discretionary basis.
Submitters could reasonably expect a consent notice condition to be upheld in perpetuity, but there was ''no absolute guarantee'', Mr Edgar said.
Although Grandview obtained written approval from immediate neighbours of the development site, Heritage Village part-time resident Mark Venter said about half of the villa owners were against the development.
Its proposed density was excessive and not appropriate for the site context and the narrow road into the site could not support the existing traffic volumes. Adding to those volumes was ''insanity''.
The submitters bought their properties with the knowledge of restrictions over further subdivision being in place and with the expectation of them being upheld, Mr Venter said.
''If it's [consent condition] to fail over the first hurdle then it has not served its purpose at all and why have a condition of consent that protects residents?''
Initially, Mr Venter said submitters were keen to see the ''high quality'' development proceed, providing the ''key adverse effects'' on Heritage Village were addressed.
However, when independent commissioners Andrew Henderson and Leigh Overton said consideration of an alternative access was outside their jurisdiction, Mr Venter subsequently requested - on behalf of opposing submitters - the proposal be rejected in its entirety, ''solely on the issues around traffic safety''.
Villa owner Christine Lowe-Stevens said while she had no problem with property development, ''when it impinges on what I have purchased on information given to me at the time, I feel very aggrieved''.
Her husband, John Stevens, said the subdivision roads should be vested to QLDC to ensure construction and maintenance in accordance with council specifications and to mitigate ongoing costs to property owners.
Parties agreed to a traffic safety audit at the site.
The commissioners reserved their decision.
