After two years of meetings, workshops and planning, How will present final urban design documents to the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board on July 27.
Urban designer and How group member Garth Falconer released the plans to the Otago Daily Times last week.
"They are the result of two years’ voluntary work. I think the volunteers have done really well," he said.
How group member and cafe owner Chris Hadfield, who is also deputy chairman of the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board, said he believed most central businesses supported the plans.
However, Wānaka businessmen Dave Crawford and Brian Kreft said this week that was not the case, and they could not support the design concepts in their present state.
Mr Crawford chairs the town centre Property Owners Group (Pog), a committee comprising Kevin King, Shaun Gilbertson, Ian Weir and Jules Adams.
Brian Kreft is the "pro-tem" chairman of another group, the Wānaka Town Centre Business Group.
The groups worked together to give feedback to the How group.
In a joint statement to the Otago Daily Times, Mr Crawford and Mr Kreft said they had made "numerous attempts" to make their thoughts heard by How but came away feeling disappointed their input had not been respected and they had not been adequately consulted.
"Representatives from Pog have met with How and, while our concerns were heard, they have certainly not been taken on board," they said.
How was presenting "an unbalanced perspective to the media and the community board for endorsement and subsequent adoption".
How should wait until the council had finished revising Wānaka’s strategic traffic and parking management plan for the town centre, Mr Crawford and Mr Kreft said.
They believed there was a perceived "lack of transparency" in How’s consultation process and feared for "the town’s wellbeing and viability" if How’s plan was adopted.
The town centre’s future viability needed to be assessed alongside population growth and the growing Three Parks development on the outskirts of Wānaka, they said.
"In our opinion, the town needs to retain the ability to park and access the CBD, given the advent and huge increase of electric and hybrid vehicles on New Zealand roads," Mr Crawford and Mr Kreft said.
They acknowledged it was "unfortunate" the CBD was constrained and had little land available to build more parking lots.
Creating additional carparks at Hedditch St was one initiative they could agree with, and would go some way towards providing all-day carparks for workers.
The business groups would make a submission to the community board when How presented the plans on July 27.
How is the latest in a line of groups and working parties that have formed over the last 20 years to come up with urban design concepts that would guide future development and provide cohesion to the look and feel of the town centre.
It was formed in 2021, in response to Wānaka’s "growing pains" and concerns shops were relocating to Three Parks.
Mr Falconer said the future of the town centre would be affected by piecemeal development and the council’s upcoming review of density and height restrictions.
How’s plans were to help improve outcomes, he said.
Mr Falconer said the opposing groups were focused on Lower Ardmore and carpark numbers, but How was looking at a much bigger picture, from Wānaka Station Park to Lismore Park to Three Parks.
"We have met with them [the groups] and they have provided their views ... The larger community wants to use and enjoy the treasured lakefront — we have tried to find a middle ground," Mr Falconer said.
How had provided high-level illustrations of four options for lower Ardmore St that were balanced and could be developed, but those required further detail and were not budgeted, he said.
Those options ranged from zero carparks lost but a better layout, plus a pedestrian green and plaza, through to options that showed more open space and some losses of carparks.
"The key is better management of existing carparking — for instance, there are 35 carparks in Dunmore St that [are] used mostly by workers all day; that should be available to visitor/shoppers on a managed regime," Mr Falconer said.
Next step
July 27: Heart of Wānaka final presentation to the board, seeking endorsement.
