What is a retail facade?

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 18, 4 October 1983, Page 10

What is a retail facade?

Ohakune Borough councillors were somewhat uncertain about a recent ruling of the T own Flanning Tribunal and could not agree on the intention of the words 'retail facade' when they were discussing the Tribunal's recommendation about restaurants at last month's meeting. The Tribunal had ruled that restaurants with a total floor area of 60 sq metres or more could be situated in the commercial zone provided they were either at first floor level or, if at ground level, they should be sited behind a retail facade. Chairman of the town planning committee, Cr Bruce Thompson, explained that the .term 'facade', in . dictiOnary terms, meant the face of the building towards the street or the frontal outward appearance, but this was proving difficult to

translate into the intentions behind the Tribunal ruling. The alternatives considered were: Did it mean a facade having the appearance of a retail shop (though it might not in fact be one). Did it mean that it must be a retail shop with its own facade (i.e displaying its own merchandise?) Did it mean that the restaurant must be behind a retail shop selling a different product (such as toys or shoes?) Or could it mean that the restaurant could be behind its own facade if it made some of its products available for retail? Council decided ta refer the matter back to the T own Flanning Tribunal to have •the meaning of the words 'retail facade' and the intention of the rulin^^ clarified.