Matthew Bai
This Week In Planning (TWIP) is a weekly segment where we analyze notable events to have taken place in New Zealand’s “Planning Sphere” over the preceding week.
The topics in this week’s instalment include new housing for regional centers, record consent numbers in Auckland, major mixed-use building announcement for Auckland’s Mission Bay, and updates to Wellington’s Shelly Bay situation.
Also in the news this week, we have controversy surrounding the construction of a concrete sea-wall in Takapuna, and a new retail center proposed for Auckland’s Stonefields.
Housing:
Housing continues to be a hot topic both in Auckland, as well regional centers of New Zealand. The former Manawatū Teachers’ College site is set to be transformed into the Palmerston North’s newest suburb following a resource management commissioner’s rezoning decision in June. No appeals were received by the Environment Court before this week’s deadline, meaning the development will now proceed.
Subdivision plans for the first two stages of the campus site could be lodged as early as the end of this month, while owner Wallace Developments and the neighbouring Manawatū Golf Club refine some issues on the boundary. According to city planner David Murphy, this was a satisfying result.
He said the whole process had effectively dealt with concerns from submitters about the effects of the development and the council would continue to work with the developers to see the subdivision go ahead.
Artists impression showing the proposed development.
Meanwhile, developer Bluehaven Holdings has asked Tauranga City Council to consider Special Housing Area status for 4 Emerald Shores Dr, which they own. Their intention is to deliver 77 single-level detached dwellings, mainly consisting of two-bedroom homes. This would be developed under leasehold agreements.
The development would also include a 523 sqm reserve extension adjacent to the existing reserve on Wairakei Ave. The council said that would increase the local purpose reserve area to 1523 sqm, “providing more usable space for the community”.
More information regarding this proposed development can be found here and submissions can be made here. City Planning NZ encourages public participation, so if you live in the area, or are impacted in any way, please follow the link to submit before the deadline (5pm on September 3rd).
Auckland’s housing consents continue to increase, reaching levels not seen since 2004. According to Auckland Council Chief Economist David Norman “there is significant evidence” to suggest the sudden resurgence in consenting activity in Auckland is the result of the Unitary Plan beginning to work”
“These findings provide evidence that counter the view that relaxing development restrictions on the fringes of the region, where few amenities exist, is the best way to reduce the housing shortfall. People by and large prefer to live closer to jobs, infrastructure that works, public transport, schools, shops and other amenities. As a result, developers are showing a preference for delivering development in brownfield areas”, Norman says.
“The share of total new dwellings consented in brownfield areas in the 10 months since August 2017 has grown from 62% to 69%. This has reversed a trend of declining brownfield development as a share of building consents over the previous seven years.”
“More intensive building typologies enabled by the Plan are being adopted: Terraced houses and apartments were 54% of new dwellings consented in the 10 months to May 2018. In the 10 months to May 2016 (i.e. the comparator 10-month period before the Plan was passed), it was only 37%”, according to Norman.
New dwellings consented (brownfields vs greenfields)
Editor’s note:
While the Auckland Unitary Plan allowed up to one million additional dwellings to be constructed, the feasibility of doing so has long been questioned. It is positive to see significant brownfields development taking place under Unitary Plan rules, as this helps to achieve Auckland’s goal of creating a compact, transit oriented urban environment.
Mission Bay Mixed-Use Building Announced- Resource Consent Pending:
Real estate development company Urban Legacy & Partners Ltd have announced plans for a new mixed-use development in Auckland’s Mission Bay. According to their press release, the building will contain up to 100 apartments and townhouses, as well as nearly 3,000 sqm of retail and a new cinema complex. 265 parking spots will be provided for residents and patrons of the proposed retail component. The total floor area of the development is said to be slightly over 35,000 sqm, although it should be noted the LCZ does not utilize MTFAR standards.
Artists impressions of the proposed Mixed-Use building in Mission Bay.
The renders suggest a maximum building height of up to 8 levels (including top “mezzanine” floor). Under Auckland’s Unitary Plan, the default height limit for the LCZ is 16 meters, shown in the table below:
The site is not subject to Height Variation Control (or heritage controls), as can be seen in the diagram below:
This suggests there will be a significant height infringement if the building is in fact built to a height of 8 levels. No detailed floors plans or elevations have been made available at the time of publication, however City Planning NZ will produce an update once the files are made public. Let us know in the comments down below if you live in Mission Bay or are impacted by this proposal.
In terms of public transport, City Planning’s NZ’s Malcolm McCracken says “With the recently launched ‘Tamaki Link’ there will be buses at a minimum of every 15 minutes to the city from 7am-12pm, 7 days a week. There are great transport links to the city and Glen Innes Train Station from which you can connect to the rest of the city”.
McCracken believes that being on the Frequent Network makes the site a suitable candidate for intensification, and represents an appropriate addition to Mission Bay’s vibrant business district.
Shelly Bay Situation Updates:
The controversial $500m development Shelly Bay Development is set to go ahead as the High Court tosses out a bid for judicial review. This follows allegations of conflicts of interest during Wellington City Council’s resource consenting process. In his decision, Justice Peter Churchman said “The witnesses also do not seem to understand or accept that the procedures mandated under The Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act (HASHAA), particularly in relation to notification and the opportunity for input by entities such Enterprise Miramar into the decision-making process, are very different to those under the Resource Management Act.
“The HASHAA simply does not provide for the Miramar community to have a say on applications such as this.”
Wellington Mayor Justin Lester says the decision is an excellent result. “It’s an endorsement of the council’s planning processes for Shelly Bay but, more importantly, it’s an endorsement of the proposal by iwi and The Wellington Company to turn a dilapidated site into something special and beneficial for Wellington.”
According to City Planning NZ Regional Affairs Editor Oscar Davie, “The development wouldn’t just serve a commercial purpose, it would present an exciting opportunity to further establish Wellington’s ferry network”. “Connecting the potential community with the CBD and perhaps Petone has been discussed by planners in the region for some time”.
Takapuna:
Auckland’s Takapuna has seen renewed controversy this week regarding the construction of a sea-wall across an informal walking track. City Planning NZ wishes to inform our audience that the construction is in fact taking place on privately owned land, and is therefore not subject to public consultation.
New retail center for Auckland’s Stonefields:
Tenants are being sought for a range of retail and commercial outlets that will become available within Stoneridge on Lunn, a big new Auckland shopping center to be constructed in the new eastern suburb of Stonefields, between Remuera and Mt Wellington.
“The centre is due for completion in April 2020,” says Leroy Wolland, national director of Colliers International. The development will encompass 23 retail, commercial, food and beverage tenancies of between 80 sqm to 609 sqm.
The 10,400 sqm development will comprise 7758 sqm of large format retail and 2642 sqm of commercial service, food and beverage and retail units. The units will all front an extensive on-site car park with 421 parking spaces, providing tenants with excellent exposure to Lunn Ave or Ngahue Drive or both. Access to the car park will be via a traffic light-controlled intersection from Lunn Ave. The center will also have pedestrian access directly from the Stonefields walkway.
~ENDS~
Matthew is the Urban Development Editor for City Planning NZ. His weekly series, TWIP, covers notable planning related stories from around New Zealand. If you have any comments or feedback, feel free to let us know down below, or email Matthew: ybai990@aucklanduni.ac.nz