Residents alarmed over plan for up to 240 homes

LIFESTYLE THREAT: Westridge resident Doug Hendry and the rustic backdrop of a farm that could be lost to more houses. Photo / Andrew Warner

Plans to fast-track development of a 15ha subdivision on a secluded Tauranga farm have alarmed neighbouring residents, who fear their peaceful lifestyles will be overwhelmed by cars.

Smiths Farm was bought by the Tauranga City Council as part of land purchases to build Route K and the council has now proposed using corner-cutting Special Housing Area legislation to develop or sell a third of the farm.

The prospect of 2000 cars a day funnelling through Westridge to access up to 240 homes has led to an upsurge of anxiety among residents of the spacious and leafy suburb.

The first shot of their campaign was fired this week when a group met city councillors Bev Edlin and Catherine Stewart.

Westridge resident Doug Hendry said he suspected the council would push for Westridge Drive to be the link between Smiths Farm and Cambridge Rd because building alternative access roads was harder and much more expensive.

"I would say it is their preferred option."

Mr Hendry said putting the traffic through Westridge would dramatically change the nature of the well-established rural/ residential subdivision.

He said that although residents had bought into the lifestyle of Westridge, he had not heard anyone say that the farm should remain undeveloped.

"Traffic is the biggest issue."

Calls by some residents for a greenbelt between the new subdivision could be achieved by the location of the 3000sq m neighbourhood reserve proposed for Smiths Farm.

PEACEFUL ROAD: Westridge Drive could be humming with cars within a couple of years if the council opens up Smiths Farm to developers.

A key meeting will take place next Thursday when the council decides whether to proceed with public consultation on the proposal under the Special Housing Area legislation.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said the point of the legislation was to get timely decisions on land development.

"People's rights are reduced significantly and rights of appeal are reduced."

He said that was why the council spent a lot of time at the front end of the process, to flush out people's concerns to modify the application or not take it any further.

"A critical element is community engagement."

Mr Crosby said access was a big issue and the traffic report would be a critical part of the public consultation document.

The council was also very aware it was the land owner and regulator.

The main options were to sell the land as is, develop it into a mixture of rural/ residential and residential, or put the whole area into residential. The farm was currently zoned rural/residential.

Council strategic planner Andrew Mead said building a new road up to Cambridge Rd would be significantly more expensive than upgrading Westridge Rd. It was challenging topography and most of the cost would be carting in fill for earthworks.

Eventually the Northern Arterial would go over the top of a new road.

Cr Edlin said if the council agreed to go out for consultation, a decision on the proposal would be made about December 15.