Commercial creep may be halted

A bid to stop the proliferation of offices along Tauranga's main roads and inject new life back into the city's ailing downtown looks like surviving largely intact.
Council planner Karen Marjoribanks yesterday delivered her response to three days of public hearings on the controversial move to block the emergence of de-facto commercial zones in what used to be residential neighbourhoods. Commercial creep has particularly altered the face of Cameron Rd, Fraser St and Maunganui Rd as businesses have tapped into the council's liberal planning regime, snapped up old homes and set up in residential areas.
But it will come to a halt if the committee hearing the application agrees with Ms Marjoribanks' recommendation not to deviate from the plan to make offices a non-complying activity in residential zones.
Tauranga's planning rules allow offices to be established as of right in residential areas, provided no more than four full-time staff were employed on the premises.
If this number was exceeded, it stepped up to become a discretionary planning application in which applicants could succeed if they satisfied requirements.
However, making offices non-complying largely shut the door and forced businesses back into the city's commercial zones where there is an over-supply of rental space.
Home-based businesses were still permitted as of right provided standard conditions were met.
Small-scale health centres and educational facilities would switch from being permitted to being at the discretion of council.
The committee, chaired by independent planning commissioner Dorothy Wakeling, went into confidential session to decide on Plan Change 48, despite Cr Rick Curach arguing its deliberations should be in the open.
He said the public had a right to hear the debate so it could understand why council reached its decision.
However, he was a lone voice, with counter-arguments that to allow the discussion to be reported would put the council at risk in an Environment Court appeal.
Mayor Stuart Crosby said commercial advantage hinged on the decision.
Cr Curach also complained that a non-elected chairman could end up with the casting vote on an issue of importance to the future of the city.
The committee was reduced to six members after three councillors were forced to drop out. A council diary mix-up saw them fail to attend one of the public submission sessions _ barring them from taking part in the decision.
Mr Crosby said it was not the fault of the chairman that the committee had been reduced to an even number.
The other remaining members of the committee were Crs Bill Grainger, Catherine Stewart and David Stewart. Forced to drop out were Crs Bill Faulkner, Murray Guy and Wayne Moultrie.
Cr Curach was reminded that the final decision still rested with the full council.
There were indications during the open portion of yesterday's meeting that instead of larger education facilities (over 25 students) and larger health centres (over four full-time staff) being non-complying in residential areas, they could be relaxed to a discretionary planning application.
People who had established offices in residential areas prior to the lodging of Plan Change 48 were protected by existing use rights.
On the argument the council was closing the stable door after the horse had bolted, Ms Marjoribanks said that over time the areas would revert to residential use and redeveloped as growth pressure continued on the city.