Hotel complex in Koutu rejected by resident

Nat Richards and her son Steven, 5. Photo/Stephen Parker

A concerned Koutu resident is calling for support to help stop a hotel complex being built in the suburb.

Natalie Richards is asking the Rotorua public to write submissions to the council
to oppose resource consent for the development which she says is the beginning of the spread of commercialism into inner-city residential areas.

A 100-room, two-storey hotel with a bar, restaurant, swimming pool, tennis courts and conference room is being planned for Bennetts Road which is zoned residential.

Ms Richards said Koutu was already surrounded by commercial activity with Fairy Springs "becoming like the Te Rapa Straight" and Lake Road now a 'main drag'.

"Our koroua gave the land for the city of Rotorua for that purpose but now the commercial sector is creeping into our homes. Councils have district plans for a reason and zoning is done for a reason. We are zoned residential and that's how it should stay," she said. "None of us have any issues with hotels or tourism but there are zones where those things should be happening. No one wants a hotel dumped on their street."

Ms Richards said Bennetts Road was a quiet street and a hotel would bring noise, traffic and strangers.

"It's safe for our kids to play and ride their bikes around the streets here, but the hotel will be targeting the Chinese market and tour groups which will bring the bus
traffic. It's already hard to turn into this street off Koutu and Panui Roads and now we are going to have buses driving down here," she said. "They can't put conditions on visitors and it will bring a scary element to our street. We will lose our sense of community."

She said many of the homes on Bennetts Road were on whanau land.

"Why should we be pushed out by hotels?"

She said she was also disappointed in what she believed was a lack of consultation from the council with affected parties, and also in the Mayor Steve Chadwick for publicly showing support for the development.

"The council is supposed to remain neutral during the resource consent process, and only the people on the boundaries of the proposed site were given notice of the project. The rest of us on Bennetts Road and surrounding streets were supposed to either know about it from reading it in the paper or on a sign put up on a fence on the property," she said.

The developer responded:

"The developer is waiting for formal submissions to the resource consent application after
which all issues raised will be thoughtfully considered and addressed in a balanced manner.The developers believe that this is the best and fairest way to resolve any concerns."

The council said it had received an application for resource consent to construct and operate a 100 room, two storey hotel with associated facilities in Bennetts Road. The site was zoned Residential 1 under the Proposed Rotorua District Plan (PDP) and 'Tourist Accommodation' was a non-complying activity.The application was therefore publically notified on September 2nd 2015 with all adjoining property owners being served direct notice of the proposal.

"It is important to note that the mayor does not have any involvement in processing the consent application.

"However, any person may make their views on the application known by sending a written submission to the Rotorua Lakes Council. It is preferable that submissions be on Form 13, available from the Rotorua Lakes Council, or from the council website. The consent application includes an assessment of environmental effects, and details of the hotel development and associated activities.The application may be inspected at the Customer Centre of Rotorua Lakes Council and on the Council website rotorualakescouncil.nz. Submissions close at 5pm on Wednesday 30th September 2015."

As well as providing submissions to the council, a copy must be served on the applicant as soon as reasonably practicable at the following address:
APR Architects
1289 Haupapa Street
PO Box 1468