Private plan change proposes space for sensitive urban growth at Arrowtown

A forward-thinking group of Arrowtown landowners today (Monday September 28) lodged a private plan change with the Queenstown Lakes District Council to enable urban growth on part of a parcel of land along the southern edge of the existing township.

The landowners have spent nine months developing a masterplan for the site, known as Arrowtown South and bounded by Centennial Avenue, the Arrowtown Golf Course and The Hills Golf Course on McDonnell Road.

The detailed plan change provides for up to 215 homes on 17ha of the land, the remainder of which will be split into 12ha of publicly accessible open space, and a 1ha community hub which will feature a village store, childcare centre and other facilities.

The largest landowner is Arrowtown farmer Roger Monk, who has owned and worked his land since 1964. Mr Monk said he had had a “loose long term plan” for the land for a number of years.

“When I first came here Arrowtown was very basic: home to a few ‘cribbies’ and locals, and you couldn’t see a single street light or house from this farm,” he said. “Now there are residential areas encroaching on it.

“Re-zoning this land from rural to a new special residential zone will allow Arrowtown to extend towards its natural boundaries, surrounded and protected by a green belt of land that includes The Hills, Arrowtown and Millbrook golf courses, and extensive river reserve.”

Arrowtown South planner John Edmonds said the private plan change had been lodged so it would proceed in tandem with the QLDC’s notification of two other Council plan changes.

Plan Change 29 looks specifically at the concept of providing an urban boundary around Arrowtown, while Plan Change 30 considers district-wide initiatives for urban growth including the concept of urban boundaries as a strategic growth management tool.

Mr Edmonds said Arrowtown South fully supported the establishment of a growth boundary because its landowners did not want to see unmanaged growth.

However, he said that the Council should carefully and fully consider the location of any such boundary.

“Plan Change 29 is right in principle because it adopts an urban growth boundary for Arrowtown rather than relying on zoning and individual resource consent decisions,” he said.

“But Plan Change 29 is flawed in detail because it only satisfies predicted growth for the next six years, and not for the next 20 year planning period as with the Arrowtown South proposal.”

Mr Monk said a lot of people had put down roots in Arrowtown over the past 50 years and many more still wanted to do so.

“As landowners on the edge of Arrowtown, in the only natural area for growth, we have a responsibility to make sure this land is used efficiently.

“We can build a small community here with a real sense of space, and a variety of section sizes catering for those who want larger lifestyle sections to those who will be happy with something that doesn’t have a crammed in, suburban feel.

“We’ll have narrow streets with grass verges and trees in the style of older parts of Arrowtown, walking and biking tracks, and we’ll develop a beautiful wetland area for people to enjoy.

“We’re not planning any buildings along the steep escarpment that runs much of the length of the land, as it would be too intrusive. Instead we aim to re-vegetate it and create a walking track.”

The original old farmhouse on the site, believed to have been built in 1867 and known as the Muter Homestead will be retained and potentially used to house a proposed childcare centre, while there are plans for the original old stables and chaff barn to be converted into a café.

Mr Edmonds said the overall look, style and feel of the development would be in keeping with the original historic precinct of Arrowtown and its distinct sense of ‘place’.

“The proposal is to require extremely detailed design guidelines to be developed for each of the neighbourhoods, as well as a management plan for all of the open spaces throughout the zone.

“It will very much enhance this gateway to Arrowtown and add walking trails and reserves that will benefit locals and long-term visitors who have lived or holidayed here for generations, the perfect Southern ‘book-end’ to the settlement of Arrowtown.

“It will also be a managed safety valve, taking the pressure off potentially more intensive development within the existing Arrowtown boundaries if current land and housing stock runs out by 2016.”

A copy of the plan change is available to view on www.arrowsouth.co.nz and feedback via the website is encouraged.