Inn decision expected today

Press, 28 November 1984, Page 8

Inn decision expected today

A decision may be given later today on an appeal by residents against a decision of the Christchurch City Council to approve extensions to the Autolodge tourist inn in Papanui Road, according to the chairman of the Planning Tribunal, Judge Treadwell, on the second day of the hearing yesterday. Witnesses for Autolodge Investments (Christchurch), Ltd, completed their evidence yesterday and the City Couiicil’s Town Planner, Mr Lawrence McCallum, gave evidence for the council. Mr J. E. Ryan, counsel for the appellants, all of whom are residents living near the hotel, called one witness yesterday and will call the rest today. Mr Peter McCombs, a traffic engineer, told the hearing that from a traffic point of view the extension

could be approved without any compromise. The new car-park site would have 102 car-park spaces, he said. This complied with the district plan for parking. The design of the car-parking would make traffic flow easier. Mr McCombs’ evidence contradicted that of the City Council’s traffic engineer, Mr Brian Hasell, who concluded in a report to the council when it heard the application in July that the increased scale of the development could, particularly in the longer term, have a significant effect on the level of traffic service and safety on Papanui Road. Mr Ryan intends to call Mr Hasell on subpoena today. Judge Treadwell said during the hearing yesterday that his main concern “at the moment” was that evidence had been given of land being bought at high prices Papanui Road

by property developers. There was a reasonable conglomeration of motels in Papanui Road and if the extensions were allowed he thought that the City Council might be hard-pressed not to grant similar departures from the District Scheme to other applicants. The proposed extensions will bring the total floor space of the complex to 823 sq m more than the 3000 sq m limit imposed for licensed tourist houses in the District Scheme. Mr Antony Hearn, for the applicant company, said that because of the nature of the site it was “quite unique.” Evidence was given that the only other licensed tourist houses on land zoned R 3 were the Gainsborough and the new Camelot Court. Judge Treadwell said that when the 3000 sq m concept was pushed to its limit “you would get into an absurdity” because the provision trolled property ownership

rather than land use. If Autolodge acquired the motel to its north, then it burnt down, it could not rebuild because it would be over the 3000 sq m limit, yet if it registered it under a separate company it would be able to rebuild. Counsel for the City Council, Mr David Palmer, said that any need for change to the floor space limit in the District Scheme arose not out of the Autolodge application but the scheme itself. Judge Treadwell said that he could see the possibility of there being a lot of big motels and a few small motels in Papanui Road instead of the other way round if cognisance were not taken of the scheme’s limit on floor space. The first witness for the appellants, Mr Barry Flewellen, said that his ownership flat in Papanui Road, opposite the proposed extension, would be blocked from the early-morning sun by the extension.