Heavy hearings week for council

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 525, 1 March 1994, Page 1

Heavy hearings week for council

Ruapehu District's hearings committee has a heavy work-load next week, with two days of hearings. On Monday the committee will hear the Resource Management Act consent hearing from Turoa, who are seeking to build a new quad chairlift on the skifield. While the agenda for this meeting is not yet available, the Bulletin has been told two submissions in support of the application and one opposing have been received. Three subdivisions On Tuesday three applications will be heard. Alan Whale has applied to subdivide land in Ruapehu Road, Ohakune into eight lots of between 1.13 hectares and 3.24 hectares each. Three submissions in support of the application (one with conditions) had been received and two opposing. Grounds for opposing the application concerned access for one lot from Tawhero Street, which is presently gravel. One submission did not oppose the subdi vision but objected to access from Tawhero Street for one lot. The applicant had supplied an amended plan which would give all sections access from Ruapehu Road. An application from Rokstad and Fleury is to be heard, which concerns the subdivision of an existing 3.6 hectare parcel into three lots. The land is partly used for a motel, the use for which was approved in September 1987. One submission in support of the application was received and five opposing it. Reasons for opposition included: it would allow extension of the commercial development (the motel) in a Residential A zone; it would put pressure on facilities such as sewerage and water; it would lead to increased traffic; that the areas were well below those allowed in a Residential B Zone; that neighbour's privacy would be affected; motel noise would increase. The planner said there was some cOnfusion over the application in that it was for a subdivision and not for permission to establish a motel complex. A second resource consent would have to be applied for to allow a motel complex to be developed. The fourth application to be heard concerns the subdivision of a block of railway land into 13 lots in National Park township. Eight submissions were received. Most raised concerns about the application regarding options of present occupiers and the subdivision of individual houses per lot. There were also concerns regarding water and sewerage services, access to some lots, and the viability of keeping the existing tennis courts as reserve.