Purpose

This report covers my Waitematā Local Board Activities during August 2015 as Deputy Chair of the Finance Committee; Deputy Chair of the Hearings Committee; Lead of the Parks and Open Spaces portfolio; Heritage, Urban Design and Planning portfolio holder; and, Local Board representative on the K Road Business Association.

Executive Summary

• Feijoa Grove planting on Churchill Avenue, base of Constitution Hill on 2 August
• Inaugural formal meeting of the Auckland Domain Committee held on 4 August
• Alcohol Ban Review hearings held on 5 August
• Auckland Development Committee workshop with local boards on 5 August
• Western Park Tunamau Development Plan approved at business meeting of 11 August
• Pioneer Women’s Centre & Ellen Melville Hall and Freyberg Square concept designs approved at business meeting of 11 August
• The Earthquake Prone Buildings Guidance and Approaches document approved for publication at business meeting of 11 August
• Local Dog Access Rules Review hearings held on 12 August
• Tole Reserve playground opening ceremony on 22 August
• Emergency building works neighbouring Symonds Street Cemetery
• Turf Renovation at Aotea and St Patricks Squares
• Bishop Selwyn Path in Symonds Street Cemetery renewed
• Two new Strategic Housing Areas (SHAs) announced at 10-12 Kingdon Street, Newmarket and 99 College Hill, Ponsonby
• Reporting of resource consent applications, planning portfolio input and decisions in the Local Board area for the month of August is at the end of this report

Portfolio Report: Parks & Open Spaces

Portfolio Responsibilities

Decision-making for and oversight of local parks and public council open spaces, including beaches, coastal walkways, reserves, sports fields, playgrounds, non-road reserve plazas and boat ramps. This includes location and naming of new parks, design and maintenance of park facilities and settings, and supporting community events and planting programmes in parks. Landowner consent delegation in respect of local parks and open spaces. Regulatory and policy oversight of local dog management. Advocacy to achieve local priorities relating to parks network development and input into the management and use of regional parks located within the local area.

Western Park Tunamau Development Plan approved:

The plan was approved by resolution WTM/2015/112 at the 11 August business meeting. Western Park is the oldest municipal park in Auckland. Opened to the public in 1879 (planting began in 1874), it is a richly-layered, historic, natural reserve with some very old infrastructure and dense planting. All this on the edge of the city centre between two of the city’s main nightlife districts. The creation of this development plan was a complex and detailed process with sometimes passionate submissions from the many stakeholders who know and love the park. Its development was not without controversy, particularly with regard to the lighting of the park (see my local board member report of November 2014) which was briefly a national news story. After extensive public consultation in which three options were set out, public support was quite evenly spread between no lighting, a main path running the length of the park being lit, and more extensive lighting throughout the park. The Local Board adopted the option of lighting a single main path, which runs close to houses and has two exits along its length, allowing for reasonably safe after-dark use. A substantial amount of work also went into the options for ‘wet-landing’ at the lower reaches of the park. This was predicated on the wetland serving a stormwater attenuation purpose. However, further analysis by the Stormwater department of Council showed that a wetland would not achieve this.

Opening of renewed Tole Reserve Playground

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On 22 August, we opened the renovated playground at Tole Reserve. This is one of the five bundled playground renewal projects approved by the Local Board early this term. One of the lesser-known parks in the area, Tole Reserve serves the Ponsonby community at the Three Lamps end and is a popular dog exercise area with a ‘snake’-style skate bowl and public art Nikau Grove. The opening was well attended with about 40 locals coming to enjoy the new equipment, face-painting and sausage sizzle.

Feijoa Grove Planting with ‘Guild of the Feijoa’

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A Feijoa Grove of six trees was planted on Churchill Avenue, at the base of Constitution Hill, on 2 August. I was proud to plant one of the trees, a ‘mammoth’ variety Feijoa, which I dubbed Lady Fiona. The ‘Feijoa Forest’ started from a community initiative led by self-described, City Centre Fanatic, Mik Smellie, a recent recipient of a Waitematā Good Citizens’ Award. Mik wanted to create more opportunities to grow food in the city and involve inner-city residents in this process. Community Development Facilitators brokered relationships between the Parks Department and the community.  Mark Miller, the Local Board’s Parks Advisor, working from the premise of ‘say yes and make it happen’, was very open to the empowered communities approach. Mark worked closely with the Feijoa Guild and enabling the Feijoa Forest  – working with Mik to identify possible sites, talking to all the necessary people within council.  Mark approached the Local Board, as the land owners of the site, gaining our approval, and a Memorandum of Understanding was drawn up between Auckland Council and the Feijoa Guild. Mik has been working hard, with a FB page and regular updates, to create this exciting opportunity for the people of inner-city Auckland and to put on this launch. Special mention must also go to John McDonald and the Splice team who brought their mobile BBQ unit to feed the volunteers; a very welcome addition to a cold, wet day. I would particularly like to acknowledge the can-do attitude of Mark Miller in moving this initiative forward.

Myers Park Stage II Works – Underpass

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The Myers Park Stage II Development Plans were approved at the 11 August business meeting by resolution WTM/2015/113. A computer render of the upgraded underpass is pictured below.

Inaugural Auckland Domain Committee Meeting

The inaugural formal meeting of the Auckland Domain Committee was held on 4 August. This is a joint committee of the Governing Body and Waitematā Local Board. The Domain is the only park in the Auckland region that has such a split-governance arrangement. Three members of the Local Board are on the committee: Chair Shale Chambers is the Deputy Chair of the Committee as well as Rob Thomas and I. We received an update on development of the Domain Master Plan, the draft of which will be reported to the Committee in October. We approved the Auckland Domain renewals programme 2015-2016 which will see, among other things, just under $1 million dollars go to the renewal of the badly deteriorated path network in the Domain; around two-thirds of this will be spent in Financial Year 2016-2017. The Domain is a highly desirable site for events and many applications are received each year. The Committee agreed to continue with the current Local Board delegation process for event approvals and grants delegation to the Manager Local and Sports Parks Central who must consult with the Deputy Chair, Shale Chambers, who can in turn elect to refer the decision to the Committee if deemed appropriate. We also approved the creation of Auckland Domain Event Guidelines, along the lines of the Victoria Park Event Guidelines passed by the Local Board in March 2014. The Committee approved the creation of dedicated assessment criteria and an Expressions of Interest approach to street trading in the Domain, and endorsed the inclusion of dedicated street trading areas in the draft Auckland Domain Master Plan.

Update from Sarah Peters, Volunteer and Biodiversity Coordinator

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• Meola Reef: Corporate tree planting Wednesday 1^st July. Maersk staff members planted 250 plants at Meola Reef as part of the ongoing ecological restoration activities in the reserve.
• Jaggers Bush: Litter clean-up Saturday 11^th July. A group of locals spent a couple of hours one weekend removing rubbish, including a number of car tyres and discarded furniture, from Jaggers Bush.
• Newmarket Park: Weekend working bee Saturday 25^th July. Several hours were spent at Newmarket Park undertaking some infill planting and mulching next to the pond.  This event was arranged with Graham Brown of the Newmarket Residents Association.
• Symonds St Cemetery: Rose pruning Saturday 25^th July.

Symonds Street Cemetery

Bishop Selwyn Path

The Bishop Selwyn Path, the middle path through the cemetery, was renewed this month. This is a significant improvement as it was previously not possible to take the path without negotiating tree roots and mud.

Emergency Building Removal Neighbouring Symonds Street Cemetery

74-80 K Rd

The building  at 74-80 Karangahape Road, adjacent to the cemetery, was under ‘critical failure’ and was at risk of collapse, potentially causing irreparable damage to  cemetery headstones and other assets. Auckland Council officers within the building control team installed emergency scaffolding to hold the building up. Individual structures were constructed over individual monuments and headstones to prevent damage from falling debris.

Aotea Square/St Patricks Square Turf Renovation

In the last days of August and into September, there will be some renovations to the turf at Aotea Square as it has a lot of broadleaf weeds and if left will get progressively worse. In the course of this work there will be some large patches of dying yellow weeds apparent prior to new green grass coming through. Appropriate signage will be installed in the square to inform people of what’s happening. St Patricks square will be having similar work done in the grassed area there.

Portfolio Report: Heritage, Urban Design & Planning

Portfolio Responsibilities

Heritage, Urban Design and Planning covers a mix of regulatory and non-regulatory activities including city planning and growth, heritage protection, urban design requirements, Local Board resource consent application input, and bylaw development, including advocacy to achieve local priorities relating to heritage preservation, good urban design and spatial planning. Regulatory and policy oversight of local liquor licensing, signs & billboards, and brothels.

Heritage

Earthquake Prone Buildings Guidance and Approaches Document

The Earthquake Prone Buildings Guidance and Approaches document was approved for publication at the 11 August business meeting by resolution WTM/2015/118. Waitematā is blessed with many of Auckland’s historical buildings. Commercial buildings were commonly built of brick with decorative facades and they have a solid presence throughout the inner city and contributing enormously to its character. Although Auckland has a low likelihood of a damaging earthquake, we have a critical mass of heritage buildings that fall short of seismic performance standards and are considered earthquake prone.  The process of fixing them can be confusing and costly, causing some owners to consider demolition. Auckland Council has adopted a staged approach to the identification of earth-quake prone buildings with all potential earthquake prone buildings being assessed by December 2015. We are committed to the ongoing survival of the region’s rich built heritage and that includes ensuring it is structurally sound.  We don’t want to see seismic strengthening work adversely affect the intrinsic value of a building nor cause the unnecessary loss of heritage through demolition. This commitment has led us to produce this guidebook as a helpful tool to guide building owners, tenants and building managers. This book will guide you through the requirements and process for seismic strengthening and illustrate techniques that respect and protect heritage. The guidebook provides a high level overview of the earthquake assessment process, an understanding of the common earthquake vulnerabilities of historical buildings, the retrofit process and an outline of the potential costs associated with this process. We have aimed to make it as accessible and easy to read as possible while retaining the necessary technical detail. I would particularly like to acknowledge the hard work of our Senior Advisor, Trina Thompson, in working on this detailed and technical document, helping render it into clear, readable English. Branding and final design are yet to be completed but will be done this financial year.

Urban Design

Pioneer Women’s Centre & Ellen Melville Hall and Freyberg Square

The concept designs for the Pioneer Women’s Centre & Ellen Melville Hall and Freyberg Square were approved at the 11 August business meeting by resolution WTM/2015/117.

Planning

Two new Special Housing Areas announced in Waitematā Local Board Area

1. Ponsonby, 99 College Hill. 0.24ha, 48 homes
2. Newmarket, 10-12 Kingdon Street. 0.12ha, 58 homes.

Auckland Development Committee Workshop with Local Boards

This workshop on 5 August was one of the first involving the newly-formed Development Auckland (DA), which formally comes into existence in 1 September 2015. The Board of DA was announced on 5 August. The chair of the board will be current ACPL Chair Sir John Wells who will be joined by Anne Blackburn and Richard Aitken from ACPL and Richard Leggat, Evan Davies and Susan Macken from Waterfront Auckland. Three additional appointments have been approved by the council’s CCO Monitoring and Governance Committee – Mike Pohio, Martin Udale and Paul Majurey. Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse chairs the CCO Governance and Monitoring Committee.

We looked at:

1. Development Auckland Locational Analysis: This workstream is part of the establishment process for Development Auckland and will provide the basis for selecting the initial redevelopment locations where Development Auckland will be operating in the future. The workshop provided an overview of the process, emerging findings and next steps.
2. Britomart Development Opportunities.

Resource Consents

The portfolio request information on resource consent applications of interest as a matter of course. The Local Board can have input into the decision on public notification of a resource consent application but not into the substantive matters of the application. The input of the Local Board is not binding on the commissioner making the decision. Nonetheless, on some significant applications we will include substantive comments along with our views on notification.

• R/LUC/2015/2850, 72-78 Victoria Street West, City. External alterations and additions to Atrium. The applicant has applied for a resource consent for the refurbishment of the atrium area and alterations to the building façade for new outdoor deck areas at level one and two and an extension to the existing ground floor restaurant. The alterations include: an addition of rooftop plant; removal of the existing automatic sliding doors at the main entrance and installing a revolving door in its place; construct new escalators through the middle of the atrium; expand the ground floor façade by 2m towards Victoria Street West and 5m at a maximum towards Federal street; create a mezzanine floor for additional restaurant seating as well as an outdoor smoking deck located within the building façade on top of existing canopy; establish new 300m²  gaming area at level 2 and construct 36m² outdoor deck area with a glass canopy; establish a new burger bar and new associated 28.5m² deck along building façade; construct new prefabricated 28m² stainless steel plant unit on the roof; remove and replace existing glazing with alucobond panels. Overall this is a restricted discretionary activity under the district plan. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/JSL/2015/2864, 29 Hepburn Street, Freemans Bay. Subdivide into two lots and construct a new dwelling. There is a large Scheduled Pohutukawa tree adjacent to Smith Street, which is scheduled and will be protected during construction. This tree has been assessed as part of the previous Resource Consent, and no work in this proposal is in proximity to this scheduled tree. The existing house on site, is a substantial and ornate villa, which has been used for many decades as a boarding house. This house has been approved to be relocated on site as per the previously approved Resource Consent and there are no significant infringements. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2859, 6 Seddon Street, Grey Lynn. Additions and alterations to an existing dwelling. This involves a rear extension to an existing cottage in residential one with stacked car parking. Affected parties approval has been obtained from all neighbours on all 3 sides. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2746, 356 Great North Road, Grey Lynn. Establishment of dine-in restaurant. Applicant is proposing to add a dine-in facility to a take-away pizza restaurant. This involves a car parking shortfall of 5 spaces. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/VCC/2013/3146/3, 22 Bella Vista Road, Herne Bay. Variation to conditions to enable changes to the approved plans for minor additions and alterations to a residential 2b dwelling  – patio area, widen verandah steps etc. The bulk of the work (second floor additions) has already been consented. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/VCC/2015/971/1, 99-115 St Georges Bay Road, Parnell. Variation of consent conditions to the approved resource consent R/LUC/2015/971: additions and alterations to an existing building, including the establishment of a number of retail and office units. The changes are in particular the splitting of two tenancies into four, and the resulting external façade and signage changes. Forwarded to Parnell Community Committee representatives for comment. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2879, 2-4 York Street, Parnell. External lift tower and street front landscaping. Forwarded to Parnell Community Committee representatives for comment. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2843, 3 Westwood Terrace, Ponsonby. Additions and alterations to an existing dwelling, including an extension of the existing driveway, leading into a proposed basement garage and new living area, along with a new deck addition at the rear. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2906, 3 Redmond Street, Ponsonby. Demolish the existing commercial building and construct a new mixed-use building containing basement parking for 8 vehicles on four mechanical stackers, three ground floor commercial (retail, combined GFA of 240m²) tenancies and four three-bedroom apartments at levels one and two. The site is in the Ponsonby Conservation Interface Area but the building itself has no heritage value or consistency with the built heritage features the Area seeks to protect. We recommended limited notification to the neighbouring property at 1 Redmond Street as there will be more than minor shading effects on the southern side of that building.
• R/REG/2015/2928, R/REG/2015/2927, R/LUC/2015/2925, 106 Vincent Street, Auckland Central. Demolition and construction of new accommodation building (196 units). Resource consent Application has been made for the demolition of the existing building and construction of a new multi-storey building to be used for residential accommodation (196 units, ranging from studio to 3 bed apartments) with associated car parking (39 spaces). Consent is required for a multitude of reasons including demolition; design and appearance; transportation matters (including loading, parking dimensions) pruning/works within the dripline of a scheduled street trees; and regional consents and PAUP matters relating to  earthworks, groundwater; flood plain. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2993, 44 Queen Street, Auckland Central. Internal alterations to scheduled building for retail activity. Resource consent Application has been made for internal alterations to  a scheduled building (Imperial building)  to accommodate a new menswear store, Hugo Boss. The site is shop A, ground floor level, currently occupied by Michael Hill Jewellers. The alterations are limited to a new shopfront on Queen Street with a new interior fit-out. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/VCC/2012/3145/15, 1/4 Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn. s127 Remove conditions 14.10-14.14. The applicant is seeking to vary the conditions of the resource consent to allow some of the conditions imposed in the subdivision consent to be transferred to the land use consent (relating to the formation of a right of way). They are seeking this change so that the subdivision can be completed. Currently the subdivision cannot be completed as the Cider Building (supermarket and offices) is under construction and the right of way in question yet to be constructed (bounds the edge of the Cider Building). The applicant has advised that it is not their intention to void non-compliance, but this change will allow for the subdivision to be complete and establishing the right of way upon completion of the Cider Building. The processing planner is currently working through this with Council engineers to see if this is acceptable and making sure that appropriate triggers are in place for the construction of the right of way if moved to the land use consent. No physical changes to the site or building bulk or locations. Only the timing of when an existing right of way has to be formed to Council standards – there are no changes to the plans. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2886, 18 McColl Street, Newmarket. Construction of a 7-storey apartment building with 13 residential units in the Business Mixed Use zone and the Newmarket Growth Area Structure Plan. The proposal involves a building of 20.8m height and 7 storeys, where 21m and 5 storeys are permitted. The building will not achieve a 45 degree angle setback from the residential rear boundary, however, the rear boundary is a steep hillside going up from the site and there will be no shading effects and minimal visual dominance effects on properties to the rear. The activity is discretionary overall. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2665, 5 Salisbury Street, Herne Bay. Application to remove the existing pre-1944 dwelling which is located towards the rear of the site and construct a new residential dwelling. The heritage team note that because the existing dwelling is not of original design and is not consistent with the surrounding streetscape, it did not warrant scheduling and there are no heritage issues raised in the proposal; they support its demolition. The construction of the new dwelling is also supported as it is sympathetic in style to the existing dwellings in the area. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/3056, 224 Hobson Street, Auckland Central. Demolish existing building, construct new mixed accommodation building. Exceedance of MFTAR by 30.36 percent. The applicant has written in the application: ‘this application illustrates very well the quite severe contradictions currently existing between, on the one hand, Council’s admirable objective to intensify Auckland, so that it becomes a high quality, compact, public transport-supportive city and, on the other, the constraining effects of the District Plan Floor Area Ratio (FAR) controls applying to the site. These controls currently have the unfortunate effect of imposing upper limits on the total quantum of floor space that can be permitted on a site (as of right) well before the District Plan-enabled bulk of the building is fully occupied by the FAR controlled floor space, even when that floor space is separated by high amenity floor-to-floor heights of a minimum of 4.5m for the ground level retail space, 5.0m for all other space at ground level, 3.25m on Levels 01-09 and 3.55m at the Level 10 penthouse level.’ The proposed building is 200mm taller than the consented building. It fully complies with the District Plan’s 50m maximum building height limit and the E10 Mt Eden Volcanic View Protection Plane. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/1609/1, 82 Jervois Road, Herne Bay. Additions and alterations to pre-1944 house. This proposal has been through three different design changes to satisfy the heritage criteria and comments from the heritage specialist. The initial application included the removal of a chimney which was not supported. The plans have been revised to retain the chimney and to have a setback for the extension at the rear which was a better outcome. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2725, 25 Home Street, Arch Hill. Extension of existing childcare centre. Infringements of concern include: exceeding the noise levels at two adjoining sites (26 Dean Street and 27 Home Street) due to children playing outside, the expected noise levels will exceed the District Plan controls by 2 decibels at Home Street and 7 – 11 decibels at 26 Dean Street; a shortfall of 12 parking spaces (no parking is provided on the subject site). Forwarded to Grey Lynn and Arch Hill Residents Associations’ representatives for comment. We have asked for limited notification to the two adjoining sites at 26 Dean Street and 27 Home Street due to increased noise levels.
• R/REG/2015/3112, 85-89 Quay Street, Auckland Central. To change condition 1 of existing consent Coastal Consent 39586. This proposal involves replacing the two existing exterior panel antennas located on the northwest corner and north façade of Shed 10 with slightly larger antennas, being 1402mm height x 377mm width x 169mm depth. The difference between the existing and proposed being an increase of 86mm height x 115mm width x 30mm depth. The maximum height of the new antennas will be 7.0m and 6.9m above ground level respectively. The replacement antenna will be finished in the same visually recessive colour scheme as the existing facility. Shed 10 is on the Heritage New Zealand List as a Category 1 building (No. 9500). Heritage New Zealand have provided written approval supporting the application. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/TRC/2015/3033, 10 Percival Parade, Ponsonby. Pruning of Rimu tree. We had no input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/3068, St Mary’s College, 3-9 New Street, Ponsonby. The application involves the establishment of a new science block facility (single level) located along the eastern boundary, the upgrading/refurbishing of the Bernard Tower located along New Street, the reconfiguration and extension of the existing car parking area on the site. The proposed development does not involve any changes to the scheduled items on the site, being the Chapel and the Stella Maris building. Forwarded to Grey Lynn and Arch Hill Residents Associations’ representatives for comment. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/3064, 422-426 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn. Alterations to the existing dwelling. Balcony, roof alterations and exterior cladding changes (replace existing fibre cement cladding with Nu-wall aluminium cladding over a cavity system). And seeking retrospective consent for a HIRTB infringement that wasn’t addressed originally. Forwarded to Grey Lynn and Arch Hill Residents Associations’ representatives for comment. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/3027, St John The Baptist Church, 244 Parnell Road, Parnell. addition to a Presbytery on a site identified to have a Category B Scheduled Building (St John the Baptist Church). The Presbytery on 244 Parnell Road is a Character Supporting Building under the Parnell Centre plan but is not itself the scheduled building. The actual Character Building is the Church located on 212 Parnell Road. The additions are minor and consistent with the existing building to include a separate ground floor toilet, bathroom, and laundry area. Forwarded to Parnell Community Committee representatives for comment. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/3038, 14 Awatea Road, Parnell. Infringement of the maximum height for the zone, being 8m where a 1.5m infringement is proposed, reaching a height of 9.5m. It does not add any height to the building, carrying on the existing roofline over the existing deck on the top level. This will be filled in to expand the bedroom space on this level. The infringement is caused as the land drops away from the road. Adjacent properties to the left and right have provided written approval. The addition is relatively small, and is also well separated from the property to the rear. Forwarded to Parnell Community Committee representatives for comment. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/2226/1, 7 Ring Road, Herne Bay. Application to undertake additions and alterations to this site zoned Residential 1. The proposal infringes on the 8m maximum height control by 0.7 metres. The site is also within 50m of a site and place of significance to Mana Whenua and is currently going through the facilitation process. So far Council has heard back from 4 iwi groups stating no further consultation is required. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/3226, 208 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby. Change the street façade of the building. The application is to replace the present façade that will include shop windows and the convenience store would be converted to a café.  It is not intended to change the carparking layout or numbers. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/3160, 15 Gundry Street, Newton. Creation of a new workshop space to an existing panel and paint facility. Change in the carpark layout and additional vehicle access. Installation of a new hand rail and ramp leading to the main entrance of the building. We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/3187, 33 Argyle Street, Herne Bay. Construction of a new dwelling on site with excavations.
• R/LUC/2015/3246, 34 Old Mill Road, Grey Lynn. Additions and alterations to a building in the Residential 1 zone. The additions are over an area of approximately 57m²: a new one-car parking pad in front of the dwelling (infringing front yard landscaping); removal of a street tree as a result of the proposed vehicle access and crossing; concrete wall (0.7 – 0.9 metre in height) along the road frontage; removal of a 3.5 metre high Titoki tree located in the grass berm between the pedestrian footpath and the road carriageway to make way for a vehicle entrance. The applicant has obtained asset owner approval to remove the tree from AT and has agreed to the conditions where two large grade specimen trees (minimum size PB95/45 litres) shall be planted outside the subject site. Forwarded to Grey Lynn and Arch Hill Residents Associations’ representatives for comment. We did not have input into the notification decision. We have requested that the replacement trees be native, ideally Titoki as this is a favourite food of Kererū (native wood pigeon). The consultant arborist has advised that if there is only room outside the subject site for one Titoki then the second replacement tree will be planted in a suitable location within the ward.
• R/LUC/2015/3264, 121-123 Beach Road, Auckland Central. 2degrees is seeking to upgrade their existing telecommunications facility on the rooftop of the existing building as follows: the replacement of three panel antennas and the addition of three new panel antenna on the lift overrun.  The dimensions of the antennas are 2622mm in height x 300mm in width x 152mm in diameter, with 500mm lightning rods on top. The finished height of the panel antennas above ground level, including associated lightning rods, will be 40m.  They will be recessively coloured to match the existing utilities.  A radiofrequency assessment submitted by 2degrees demonstrates compliance with Regulation 4(b)(ii) of the NES and the New Zealand Radiofrequency Radiation Standard NZS6609.2:1990.  This has been verified by the council’s expert. The replacement of the southernmost of the two existing cabinets. The existing cabinets are 1.9m high x 1m wide x 0.92m deep, with the replacement cabinet being 1.6m high x 600mm wide x 575m deep. The location of the replacement cabinet will be the same as the one it replaces and it will be recessively coloured to match the existing utilities. Resource consent is required as a restricted discretionary activity pursuant to rule 6.6 of the District Plan as the roof already contains more than three projections.
• R/LUC/2015/3188, 201 Victoria Street West, Auckland Central. Cambel Trust Limited Partnership has applied for external alterations to an existing office building, including the carpark area at street level. Specifically alterations cover replacement of the existing roof;  alterations to the first floor office façade;  alterations to the ground floor carpark façade including a screening ‘net’ and  new auto roller door and pedestrian gates to address security; replacement of the existing office entry canopy and new identification signs for the existing tenancies.  The existing billboard will remain. The site is located within a site a significance to Mana Whenua (Te Koranga). The proposal overall is a restricted discretionary activity under the operative district plan rule 14.10.6.1 and is a discretionary activity under rule J.5.1.1 of the PAUP. Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) consultation has begun in accordance with rule G.2.7.4.1 of the PAUP. We did not have input into the notification decision but, having reviewed the plans, will be pleased to see any improvement to what is currently a very low quality frontage, characteristic of the cheapest 1980s construction, on a high profile corner.
• R/TRC/2015/3153, 24 Laurie Avenue, Parnell. Removal of two exotic trees, one Cypress tree and one Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus), to make room for native Nikau Palms being overshadowed by the Cypress and to prevent further damage to border fence with neighbour (Ailanthus). We did not have input into the notification decision.
• R/LUC/2015/1462, 25 Hargreaves Street, Ponsonby. Mixed use development of 29 apartments and 536 square metres of commercial floorspace. We recommend limited notification to the property at 101-408/23 Hargreaves Street due to the bulk and height of the proposed building at 25 Hargreaves Street and its proximity to the boundary.

Resource consent matters of significance this month

65 St Stephens Avenue, Parnell

R/LUC/2015/2570. Removal of two scheduled trees (Pohutukawa and English Oak) and upgrading of tennis court. The trees are very significant, contribute substantially to the visual amenity of the area, and the local board has requested full notification as this is needed for the pros and cons of their removal to be weighed. Neither of the specialists (arborist and heritage architect) support the proposal. The application was placed on a s37 extension of time and Council planners met with the applicants and agent on 5 August. Because the trees were scheduled due to the visual amenity they provided to the wider environment, Council required an additional visual assessment from an external landscape architect. As the visual amenity is dependent on the health of the trees, they also all agreed that a third opinion is required in regards to the health of both trees. The third opinion was received on 21 August and the applicants were given options to proceed with the application on a notified basis, to further extend the s37 extension period to discuss alternatives, or withdraw the application.

Decision: 305, 311, 317, 323 Parnell Road, Parnell

R/LUC/2014/1645/1, R/LUC/2014/1699/1, R/LUC/2014/1652/1, R/LUC/2014/1715/1. Application to allow the use of existing outdoor decks and a courtyard for outdoor dining combining four consent applications heard together. The application was notified on a limited notification basis, a hearing held on 24 April 2015, and GRANTED with conditions including post development noise monitoring and ongoing compliance to noise standards.

Decision: 109-111 Carlton Gore Road, Newmarket

R/REG/2013/3045. Application to take up to 60m³/per day of ground water at the site and divert into the public stormwater system. GRANTED with conditions.

Decision: 311 Richmond Road, West Lynn

R/LUC/2014/267. Proposal for a 45-seater café in a Res1 area. The consent application was DECLINED on the bases that:

1. It would have more than minor adverse effects on the historic heritage/built character of the building and on the established residential character of Peel Street as a consequence of the proposed alterations and additions to the existing building, and the Peel Street boundary treatments (walls, landscaping, elevated seating area, glass screens) and the scale and visibility of the proposed car park.
2. Vehicles associated with the café will increase traffic and pedestrian safety risks on Peel Street to a more than minor degree as a consequence of the location of the entrance to the car park close to the intersection with Richmond Road, and its constrained visibility.
3. The proposed café will have more than minor adverse effects on the amenity values that comprise the existing residential character of the locality, including noise of a different character, frequency and duration than otherwise anticipated, and impacts on the availability of on-street car parking on residential streets.
4. Reasonable conditions of consent could not avoid, remedy or mitigate the adverse effects that have been identified because the effects arise due to the intensity of the proposed activity at this location.
5. The adverse effects on residential amenities and in relation to traffic and parking make the proposed café contrary to the relevant objectives and policies of the District Plan and PAUP in this location.

Decision: 554-558 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, ‘The Barrington’

R/LUC/2015/1867. The proposal is for a mixed use development consisting of 8 residential units which will include 3 live/work units with associated retail space at ground floor level (fronting Great North Road at the Surrey Crescent shops). The site is zoned Business 2. The proposal involves construction of two new three level buildings. 16 carparks will be provided within internal garages with access provided from Barrington Road. The existing building will be demolished.

GRANTED after changes made to make exterior design more consistent with Character Area of Surrey Crescent shops.

Unauthorised Demolition: 23 Albany Road, Herne Bay

In February 2015, resource consent was granted for additions and alterations to the villa at 23 Albany Road. The works included lifting and excavating the house to create a basement garage and living accommodation, partial demolition of the roof, demolition of the existing sleep out and garage, and the construction of ground floor extensions. The proposed additions are sympathetic to streetscape and heritage character of the neighbourhood. No resource consent has been granted to remove the villa from the site. Auckland Council’s monitoring inspectors have visited the site and assessed the consented plans against the works that have taken place.  There is a discrepancy in that more of the house has been demolished than was consented. Inspectors had not been made aware that works had commenced and therefore had not inspected until we were informed by members of the media. Resource Consenting and Heritage staff are working with the homeowner and his advisors to ensure that the final rebuilt house is in accordance with the approved plans and to ensure that the completed house is sympathetic to the streetscape and character of the conservation area.  A decision around formal enforcement action will be made in the coming weeks once we have agreement on what will need to happen to rectify this issue.

Regulatory

Alcohol Ban Review

The recent amendment to the Local Government Act 2002 requires alcohol bans to be evidence-based. For alcohol bans to continue there must be documented evidence that any area with an alcohol ban has experienced a high-level of crime or disorder that can be shown to have been caused or made worse through the consumption of alcohol. This is a statutory review that needs to be completed by 31 October. Any bans not reviewed by this date will lapse. Public submissions ended on 17 July and the Local Board Hearings Committee – of which I am Deputy Chair – heard public submissions on 5 August. Final decisions will be made in September

Local Dog Access Rules

The Council must have a dog policy and the Dog Access Bylaw gives effect to this policy. The policy and bylaw must set out areas where dogs are prohibited, where they will be required to be on-leash, where they can be off-leash and designated dog exercise areas. The Special Consultative Procedure (SCP) to review access rules ended on Friday 17 July. Our Local Board Hearings Committee – of which I am Deputy Chair – heard public submissions on 12 August. We will make final decisions by mid-September.

Meetings / Events Attended / Appearances

1 August:

• Spoke to NewstalkZB about the magnolia trees at 230 Ponsonby Road

2 August:

•  Planting of ‘Guild of the Feijoa’ Grove on Churchill Avenue at the base of Constitution Hill

3 August:

• Meeting with Grey Lynn and Arch Hill residents’ representatives on community-led planning input for the Great North Road SHA area
• Spoke to NewstalkZB about Myers Park CCTV

4 August:

• Local Board Workshop
  • Bi-monthly report
  • City Centre Integration update
  • AT update
    • CRL enabling works communication
    • Grafton Bridge taxi trial: discussion on changes prior to commencement
  • Grey Lynn Park & Hakanoa Greenways
• Auckland Domain Committee meeting
• 60-second spot on Radio New Zealand explaining the Stage I and II works in Myers Park

5 August:

• Alcohol Ban Review Hearings
• Auckland Development Committee Workshop

6 August:

• Parks portfolio monthly meeting

11 August:

• Monthly Local Board business meeting

12 August:

• Local Dog Access Rules Hearings

13 August:

• Local Board Workshop
• Attended Governing Body meeting on PAUP IHP consideration of pre-1944, special character and volcanic viewshafts
• Joint LB/GB workshop on land use strategy

18 August:

• Local Board Workshop
  • MOTAT Programme of Works 2015/16
  • Update on Highwic House by Heritage New Zealand Staff
  • Newmarket designation – Notice of Requirement
  • Auckland Museum Masterplan – meeting with Director and team
• Symonds Street Interpretation Signage
• Waitematā Youth Collective Introduction
• K Road Business Association meeting

19 August:

• Meeting to formulate feedback on ARAFA funding model for regional facilities
• Parks portfolio meeting to consider CAPEX projects for FY16/17
• Meeting with members of Grey Lynn Residents Association about detailed design of the ‘G1’ Grey Lynn/Cox’s Bay Greenway Grey Lynn Park section

20 August:

• Site visit to Francis Reserve, Grey Lynn

22 August:

• Opening of renovated Tole Reserve playground

23 August:

• One hour radio spot on the RadioLive Sunday morning panel with Mark Sainsbury and Janet Wilson discussing news and politics of the past week

24 August:

• Spoke to a Radio bFM reporter by phone about the opening of Tole Reserve playground and upcoming improvements in Salisbury Reserve, Grey Lynn Park and Western Park playgrounds
• Citizenship ceremony – attended as part of the official party

25 August:

• Local Board Workshop
  • Mana whenua relationship agreements
  • Review of alcohol bans
  • Review of local dog access rules
• Newmarket Laneways working group

26 August:

• City Centre Advisory Board meeting

27 August:

• Appearance as a panellist on TV3’s Paul Henry Show
• Finance Committee meeting
• Bi-monthly resource consents briefing
• Interview by phone with Herald on Sunday journalist about the K Rd Plan

29 August:

• Appearance as a panellist on TV3’s The Nation