Many Arrowtowners are aghast at the possibility 12 metre-high housing — 11m plus a pitched roof — could cut a swathe through the historic township.
This week, the village was named a finalist in Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s ‘most beautiful small town’ and ‘best street’ awards.
However, under a council-proposed ‘urban intensification’ variation — responding to the government’s ‘national policy statement for urban development’ — the new height limit could apply to 266 medium density-zoned properties around some of the old Adamson subdivision.
This zone, which currently allows 7m-high, or two-storey housing, includes properties bounded on one or both sides by parts of Adamson Dr and Centennial Ave, Argyle Pl, Thomson St, Premier Pl, Jenkins Pl, Payne Pl, Ritchie St, Preston Dr and Kent St.
Local museum director and planning advisory group chair David Clarke, a former councillor, says ‘‘the question is, is 12m reasonable in a town that is freezing cold in winter and you want every bit of sunlight you can get?’’
‘‘And, also, are the services there to service it — cars, stormwater, water, electricity?’’
He also questions how three- to four-storey housing, with little or any setback from a property’s boundary, squares with Arrowtown’s 2016 design guidelines which suggest houses take cognisance of the neighbourhood character of the village’s ‘old town’.
‘‘I would like as many people as possible to submit [by September 21] if they’re not in favour of it, so central government gets the idea it’s not appropriate here.’’
Clarke also suggests the issue could trigger renewed discussion over extending Arrowtown’s town boundary, given the point of the government’s ‘national state ment’ is to increase the stock of affordable housing.
Meanwhile, a group of concerned locals is erected a 12m-high post beside Four Square Arrowtown, on Adamson Dr, yesterday, to help people picture how high 12m is.
One of those locals, Mark Kramer, says that height limit is ‘‘beyond ludicrous’’.
‘‘It would consign a large proportion of the centre of Arrowtown, which is pretty challenged as far as sunlight goes, to purgatory.
‘‘If they did this in front of my place, I wouldn’t get a scrap of sunlight in my lounge for five months of the year.’’
This coming Tuesday, council’s also hosting a drop-in session on the issue at the Arrowtown Community Centre, from 5 till 7pm.
