Just half a dozen submissions on the Cardrona Village character guidelines had been received by the Queenstown Lakes District Council by the cut-off last Friday.
This prompted an extension of the feedback deadline, council senior policy analyst Ralph Henderson said.
The guidelines were produced to encourage appropriate development in Cardrona that would meet growth needs, encourage urban environments of a high quality and preserve the district's cultural heritage.
The draft document was adopted by the council strategy committee in October.
Mr Henderson said he had expected to receive more public submissions on the guidelines, particularly from local architects and Cardrona residents.
However, it was possible the topic was "off their radar" at the moment.
"Given that development in Cardrona has dropped away quite a bit, people are possibly inclined to be less focused on it," Mr Henderson said.
In order to give more people a chance to comment, the deadline had been extended to December 9.
Feedback to date had included a recommendation road markings, passing bays and parking signs not be used in the main stretch of the village; endorsement of a village green in the centre of town; a suggestion the landscape was so dominant that replica or historic buildings could look "tacky and unattractive"; and a request for more retail provision in the village.
Council would try to incorporate some of the public feedback into the guidelines before the final document was adopted by the strategy committee in the New Year, Mr Henderson said.
In 2006, the council undertook an urban design assessment of the township.
The review and subsequent community consultation indicated the 2003 Cardrona Community Plan, which had identified strategies for development sought by the local community, did not provide assistance on how contemporary interpretations of historic building forms could be achieved.
The council decided a set of non-statutory character guidelines would complement and help interpret district plan rules and enable the community and developers to identify design elements that were appropriate for Cardrona and would help reinforce its unique identity.
