Thumbs up for proposed state housing development
A proposed state housing project, which triggered a petition against it, has the thumbs up from urban design experts.
Kāinga Ora submitted their Flagstaff proposal to the Hamilton Urban Design Advisory Panel and have received favourable feedback.
The proposed 70-unit development on Endeavour Ave features two- and three-storey buildings on a 1.9 hectare site and will be a mix of public and privately owned housing.
Concept drawings of the proposal were made public in May and triggered a strong backlash from some Flagstaff residents.
About 2775 people signed a petition calling for the housing project to be halted.
The height of some buildings, the scale of the housing development, and its impact on traffic and facilities in Flagstaff, alarmed some residents.
Yet the project has received largely positive feedback from the Hamilton Urban Design Panel, with members describing the proposal as "one of the most comprehensive submissions received by the panel to date".
The panel provides free professional and independent advice on proposed projects, with a focus on promoting good design.
In its assessment, the panel said the Kāinga Ora proposal is "well integrated, with good connectivity to its urban context".
The panel suggested minor improvements to the three-story walk-up blocks, saying they appear "very slab-like". It recommended breaking down the facades into smaller elements.
"Overall, the panel commends the care and attention given to considering the context of the proposed development. With some suggested minor improvements, the panel is supportive of the non-compliances associated with this very high quality submission."
Aspects of the housing proposal don't meet some of the council's district plan rules, such as the number of proposed apartments and the height of the apartment buildings.
National's Hamilton East MP, David Bennett, organised the petition against the housing project and said it's inappropriate to suggest the proposal only needs minor improvements.
Given the community's pushback against the proposal, the council has an obligation to enforce its district plan rules and not make exceptions for Kāinga Ora, Bennett said.
"If the council deviated from the rules and gives an exemption for this project, I think it would be going against the community's feeling," he said.
Resource and building consents are still to be granted for the Endeavour Ave development, with construction timed for 2021-22.
Bennett filed his petition to Parliament's petition office on Thursday and expects it to be sent to the governance and administration committee within a week.
Kāinga Ora senior development manager Nick Howcroft believes the Hamilton Urban Design Advisory Panel's feedback is positive overall. The panel's advice on how the project can be improved will be considered by staff as the design work is refined.
Howcroft said Kāinga Ora is also eager to get feedback from the wider community.
Labour list MP Jamie Strange is heartened the housing agency has engaged with the panel and the Flagstaff community.
Kāinga Ora will host a public drop in session at Flagstaff's Suburbs Community Sports Club on Monday for residents to ask questions and give feedback.
"I've said all along that consultation is the key here between Kāinga Ora and the residents," Strange said.
Article supplied by Aaron Leaman at STUFF