Unitary Plan Updates 3.2.2

Written by Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

From Friday to Monday

And Advancing Auckland from the 1950’s to the 1970’s

 

Friday was more tame day at the Unitary Plan proceedings with the day wrapping up at around 3pm. Unfortunately owing to the Residential Provisions being dragged out earlier, the proceedings are forced into the two reserve days (as mentioned in the Unitary Plan Updates – Day 3.1 post.

I am not going to do Councillors’ favourite trick and rehash everything from Friday. You can see the snippets of the day’s proceedings over at my Twitter page – @BenRoss_AKL and most of the amendments on my Talking Auckland Facebook page.

New Zealand Herald reporter Bernard Orsman finally did something right and actually got two good descriptions up of Friday’s proceedings. Again to save me doing a rehash and owing to the fact Orsman did it so well, check his two articles out by clicking on the respective links below

The resolutions that were moved on Friday were the:

  • Public Open Space and Recreation
  • Business Zones (which includes the Centres (Height in Centres is dealt with on Monday)
  • City Centre (including Port of Auckland)
  • Social Infrastructure
  • Physical Infrastructure

While Orsman most of the above, two points were missed that caused a bit of noise and debate during those proceedings. One point was about Colin Maiden Park which is owned by the University of Auckland, the other was about Councillor Cameron Brewer’s Parking Minimums with the Mixed Housing Zone.

 

Colin Maiden Park

With the University of Auckland looking at moving from its Tamaki site to the Newmarket Site (old Lion Brewery site), there is debate about Colin Maiden Park which it owns. Under the Unitary Plan the site is zoned I believe Terrace Housing/Apartment. This means if the University of Auckland as the legal land holder of Colin Maiden Park (home to sports grounds including netball courts) could redevelop the land into Terraced Housing and or low-rise apartments.

Orakei Local Board nervous of this asked Council on Friday to rezone Colin Maiden Park into the Public Open Space and Recreation Zone – so that the park can stay as is once the University shifts.

Problem? Council can not do that (zone Public Open Space/Recreation) on privately held land without the agreement from that landholder. Effectively and essentially Auckland Council would have to seek agreement from the University of Auckland to zone Colin Maiden Park as open space – which means most likely a buy out.

Planner Penny Perrit outlined a landmark Environment Court Case between the old and now defunct Auckland City Council and the Dilworth Trust where that Council tried to put a open space zone over the Trust’s privately held land. A Court battle ensured and ruled that Council could not do that under the Resource Management Act 1991. The site is now home to the Dilworth Primary School.

So this is the issue Auckland Council and the Orakei Local Board would run into with Colin Maiden Park. Unless the University of Auckland agrees – and that will be most likely through a sell out, there will be no Open Space zone on Colin Maiden Park. Whichever way you see this – this is just reality.

 

Councillor Brewer’s Parking Minimums

Councillor Brewer under the Physical Infrastructure section had moved the following resolution:

Brewer/Stewart: “That in the Townhouse And Apartment Building Zone, there be a minimum parking requirement of at least one car-park per dwelling of two or more bedrooms, and in both the Mixed Housing Urban and Suburban zones there be a minimum of one park for studios and one bedrooms as is proposed, and at least two car-parks as a minimum for any new dwelling two bedrooms or more (not three bedrooms as is proposed) to help mitigate increasing car numbers and on-street parking problems .”

It was defeated 6-14 by the Auckland Plan Committee – so a Super Majority (over 67%).

When this amendment was being debated I literally was flooding Twitter with the happenings of the debate as well as my own thoughts. Unlike Councillor Brewer who does not quite no what Neo Liberalism means (as he fesses to be one), I do know what Social Liberalism is and will adhere to it on my beliefs – especially around planning and the economy.

In defeating Councillor Brewer’s Parking Minimum amendment by a Super Majority Level what had happened was that Auckland had taken another step advancing from the 1950s to the 1970’s (I did mean 21st Century but as someone pointed out on Twitter, the 1970s was more apt given the circumstances on Friday, and also how far Auckland has to go to reach the 21st Century)

What I might do is an expose on my planning values that are Social Liberal and how it influences my thoughts around the Unitary Plan.

For the moment though I have some light reading from my opposite number in the USA:

Monday

Monday the Auckland Plan Committee looks at; Heritage (another potential dragger like the Residential provisions), ‘Heights in Centres’ and the Rural Urban Boundary. I won’t be present at Council tomorrow as I will be knuckling down on a project for the next couple of weeks. However I will keep tabs on the All About Auckland video feed and post any major happenings on Twitter when they happen.

September 5 draws close though folks as the Governing Body will decide whether to send the Unitary Plan for formal Notification or not.

 

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