Lakeview renewed interest

The potential development of a 4 hectare parcel of prime Queenstown real estate is back on the Queenstown Lakes District Council agenda, QLDC acting chief executive Stewart Burns said.

Development of Council freehold land, located at the top of Man Street and known as the Lakeview site, was first offered for development on a leasehold basis in 2005.

“In 2007 we issued a request for Expressions of Interest, two parties showed a strong interest but the global financial crisis meant no final agreement could be executed and the proposal was parked,” Mr Burns said.

Renewed interest in the site has resulted in Council considering a revised set of draft objectives for Lakeview at its June meeting in public excluded.

“We will now ask the Council to formally adopt those objectives at its August meeting, but we have a short window before then to gauge any public feedback on the concept before we make a fresh call for Expressions of Interest later this month (August),” Mr Burns said.

The draft objectives for the Lakeview site are:

a)    A high quality, predominantly residential community, consistent with Council strategies:

i.           A development that is both physically and socially integrated into the existing and future built and natural environments;

ii.         A safe public environment (both public streets and parks) that encourages residents to interact socially and take pride in their community;

iii.       High quality development that ‘positively’ addresses the public environment and delivers high levels of private amenity;

iv.       A natural and built form outcome that enhances Queenstown’s unique “local identity”;

v.         A development that is high-quality, high-density residential, including community housing, with the option for visitor-serving uses.

b)        A substantial long-term financial return to the community to be used for other community projects, achieved through Council’s on-going ownership of the site.

The community could send comment on the objectives to services@qldc.govt.nz with Lakeview in the subject line or comments could be dropped at a Council office.

“Any feedback at this stage will be taken on board by the Council before the August Council meeting,” Mr Burns said. Comment should be with the Council by Friday, 10 August, 2012.