Comment on the Kohimarama Comprehensive Care Retirement Village Fast Track Application 1
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Comment on the Kohimarama Comprehensive Care Retirement Village Fast Track Application 1. Contact Details Please ensure that you have authority to comment on the application on behalf of those named on this form. Organisation name (if relevant) Auckland Council *First name Ian *Last name Smallburn Postal address Private Bag 92300, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1010 * Mobile phone 027 675 2975 *Work phone n/a *Email (a valid email address [email protected] enables us to communicate efficiently with you) Please cc: [email protected] 2. *We will email you draft conditions of consent for your comment about this application I can receive emails and my email address is I cannot receive emails and my postal address is ✓ correct correct 3. Please provide your comments on the Kohimarama Comprehensive Care Retirement Village Application Auckland Council’s comments on the Kohimarama Comprehensive Care Retirement Village (KCCRV) are broken down into the following categories, which the council considers to be most relevant to this proposal: • Land use • Residential amenity values • Urban design • Landscape • Traffic (including Auckland Transport comment) • Development engineering (including comments by Watercare and Healthy Waters) Land use The application size falls within the Mixed Housing Urban (MHU) zone of the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP). The MHU zone seeks to enable a variety of housing types at higher densities, including integrated residential developments such as retirement villages. Accordingly, the council supports the principle of a retirement village on the site. Residential amenity values Due to the exceedance of the height standard for the zone (approximately twice the permitted 11 metre height standard), adverse effects on the neighbouring residents to the south and east of the site may be greater than that reasonably anticipated from a development within the MHU zone. Building bulk, visual dominance (including a change to the existing landscape), and shading effects are considered to be of greatest concern. During the processing of the resource consent application there was a difference in expert opinions in terms of the level of these effects as experienced by neighbouring properties. The council considers that it will need to be determined whether these effects on neighbours are acceptable in the context of the MHU zone. Kohimarama Comprehensive Care Retirement Village Page 3 of 5 Urban Design The council’s urban design specialist considers the proposal to be an appropriate outcome for the site. Outstanding concerns remain in relation to building B06 and the bulk related impacts to the adjoining neighbours along the south- eastern interface. The council’s urban designer recommends that consideration is given to reducing the overall height and bulk of building B06 to reduce the potential visual dominance effects. Landscape The council’s landscape specialist considers that the proposed development would be generally consistent with the intent of the MHU zone, although would result in low adverse landscape character effects, and up to high adverse visual amenity effects on a localised environment. Notwithstanding this, the landscape specialist acknowledges any redevelopment of the site within the limits of the MHU zone would also result in a dramatic change to the existing site character, given the site’s current undeveloped state. Traffic effects The council’s traffic engineer advises that the proposed quantum and design of on-site car parking (and bicycle parking) complies with the requirements of the MHU zone. As per AUP requirements, a second loading space should be provided within the development (which could be secured through a consent condition). The traffic that is anticipated to be generated by the development upon occupation has been assessed as being acceptable and would not generate any adverse effects upon the surrounding road network. The council’s traffic engineer has raised concerns regarding the vehicle access from Kohimarama Road, particularly due to the proximity of the site to neighbouring schools, and the safety concerns associated with right-turn vehicle movements. To mitigate potential adverse effects upon road safety, a change in bollard operation time (from 7:00 am to 9:30 am and 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm) to restrict movements into and out of the Kohimarama Road access during the complete periods of peak hour traffic is recommended. It is also recommended that there should be no right turn out of the Kohimarama Road entrance. Auckland Transport (AT) have advised that should their recommended consent conditions be imposed or adopted that the potential adverse effects on the roading network would be suitably avoided or mitigated. AT also recommend prohibiting right-turns from vehicles exiting the Kohimarama Road entrance. Development engineering (including comments from Watercare and Healthy Waters) Watercare have advised the council that the proposed wastewater network extension and the wastewater capacity for the site is generally acceptable. The site can be provided with adequate water supply (including firefighting capacity). Auckland Council’s GeoMaps show potential floodwaters affecting the site and there are a number of overland flowpaths within the site. Healthy Waters have advised that, subject to their recommended conditions being imposed or adopted, that the potential flooding effects upon the proposed development can be effectively managed and controlled. The council’s development engineer advises that the proposed earthworks are acceptable and that any potential effects can be mitigated by consent conditions. It is recommended that that further geotechnical assessment is undertaken in relation to the earthworks at the eastern boundary as the information currently provided is insufficient. It is recommended that an updated geotechnical report is secured through a consent condition. Summary Council planning officers consider the proposed development to be generally consistent with the provisions of the MHU zone, although there are concerns regarding the height of some elements of the development. It is considered that this exceedance of the 11-metre permitted building standard has the potential to cause adverse residential amenity effects in terms of building bulk, visual dominance and shading effects. Council planning officers consider that the Expert Consenting Panel should determine whether these effects are acceptable in the context of the MHU zone. Orakei Local Board It should be noted that the Orakei Local Board (OLB) do not support the proposed development in its current form. The OLB’s comments are included with this response. Further information and technical memos In addition to the summarised information above, the following technical memos are provided as part of this response: a) Planning considerations (prepared by Sandy Hsiao, Senior Planner) b) Urban design (prepared by Sheerin Samsudeen, Principal Urban Designer) c) Landscape (prepared by Ainsley Verstraeten, Principal Landscape Architect) d) Traffic (prepared by Sarishka Gandi, Senior Traffic Engineer) e) Auckland Transport (prepared by Jason Drury, Senior Development Planner) f) Development Engineering (prepared by Kuanjin Lee, Development Engineer) g) Healthy Waters (prepared by Maree Gleeson and Mark Iszard) h) Watercare (prepared by Tarso Luiz dos Santos Girio, Development Engineer) Kohimarama Comprehensive Care Retirement Village Page 4 of 5 i) Orakei Local Board comment It is noted that the above memos were prepared specifically in response to the fast-track application, although may rely on earlier assessment that was undertaken at resource consent stage. The technical memos prepared in response to the previous resource consent application (reference BUN60353138) were provided to the EPA on 24 March 2021. Consent conditions Should the Panel be minded to grant consent, the council refers to the recommended conditions contained within the specialist memos provided to the EPA on 24 March 2021. It is also recommended that the Panel refers to the council’s ‘Consent Conditions Manual’ for standard conditions which may be appropriate for this development. The Consent Conditions Manual can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.aucklanddesignmanual.co.nz/regulations/consent-conditions-manual. The council would like to have the opportunity to further comment on the draft conditions prior to any decision being issued. Kohimarama Comprehensive Care Retirement Village Page 5 of 5 Asset Owner / Specialist Response From: Jason Drury, Principal Development Planner, Auckland Transport Date: 25/02/2021 Overall Summary: The application material has been reviewed by Auckland Transport in regard to: • road and pedestrian safety effects at the Kohimarama Road vehicle crossing; • road safety and operational effects at the Kohimarama Road / John Rymer signalised intersection; • road and pedestrian safety effects at the John Rymer vehicle crossing; and • construction and earthworks traffic effects AT largely agree with the findings of the application material and conclude that should the additional recommended conditions of consent in attachment 1 be imposed or adopted, adverse effects on the road network will be suitably avoided or mitigated. The additional recommended conditions are relatively minor, are not inconsistent with the application material and would not require any considerable revision of the proposal. The conditions recommended will: • ensure the proposal is given effect