In an email to councillors and mayor, Vanessa van Uden, on behalf of Lake Hayes Estate Ltd, Mr McDonald responded to the urban design study which was critical of the development off State Highway 6, between Frankton and Arrowtown.
The overall assessment of Lake Hayes Estate found it to be between "acceptable" and "less successful", with its out-of-town location without appropriate services a "major urban design concern".
Mr McDonald said Lake Hayes Estate was identified as an area for urban growth in 1995, the developers' vision to provide a residential neighbourhood with a higher density core, providing a commercial hub, which included enhanced amenity aspects through extensive provision of open space, walkways and recreation land.
In 1997, the council was presented with a subdivision layout and design plan, prepared by Boffa Miskell, Mr McDonald said. The following year, the council chose to exclude the central commercial area initially planned, and the subsequent development was "very similar" to the original Boffa Miskell plan. Developers later pursued a medium density village core, including commercial buildings and a child care centre, which went through a notified consenting process.
"The council approved the medium density commercial core, but declined the child care centre.
"The site has now been sold to the Community Housing Trust. It is the trust which has downscaled the consented development through another resource consent process ... from 37 residential units to 19 ... and three commercial buildings to one."
He said Nerin Sq had "always been an area of contention" between the developers and the council, with the developer presenting "numerous proposals" to landscape and enhance the area.
"All concepts have been rejected by the council. Nerin Sq in its current form is what was acceptable to the council."
Recently the developers had progressed with a higher density unit development project, which was not supported by the community, and ultimately refused consent.
"The consent has recently been resolved with the council through the court system."
Mr McDonald said at the time of the Threepwood subdivision, the developer commissioned a full engineering design and costing for an underpass to link the two subdivisions, with a link to Lake Hayes.
"The developer was to pay a share in the costs, however, NZTA and the council would not contribute.
Boffa Miskell had failed to acknowledge several factors, including on completion, Lake Hayes Estate would have "perhaps the most successful connectivity to its surrounding environment of any residential area within the district".
"A critique such as this should review the ultimate anticipated outcome, rather than criticise uncompleted aspects of a development, which is a work in progress ...
"Lake Hayes Estate is no more isolated than [either subdivision] which are both residential hubs located several km from local amenities.
"This lack of analytical consistency is striking.
"The critique appears to have evaluated areas in a vacuum and has not considered the greater context."
Mr McDonald said while the purpose of the critique appeared to have been to assist the council, he suggested it may be "more beneficial" in future for the council to correspond with those who implemented the district plan.
