Fast-tracked hotel 'won't thrill neighbours'

An artist's interpretation of the luxury hotel. IMAGE: SUPPLIED Planned by Queenstown Hotel (NZ) Ltd - Trojan Holdings Ltd and Katdan Hotels New Zealand - the Man St hotel, to be build on top of the existing Man St carpark, will accommodate up to 173 guest rooms and ancillary activities. The application was made under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-Track Consenting) Act 2020.

But the height of the six-storey hotel - proposed to range from 16.75 metres at the eastern end to 24 metres at the western end - has riled neighbouring property owners. In their final decision, released today, panel chair Phil Page and members Hoani Langsbury and Rachel Dimery said having visited the site, and viewed it from the perspective of landowners to the north, who were ‘‘firmly opposed’’ to the proposal, ‘‘we can understand why’’.

While any permitted building, build to the proposed district plan height limit, would block some existing views, the panel set those effects aside ‘‘as being within the permitted baseline’’. ‘‘The breach of height limits is nevertheless substantial,’’ their decision says. ‘‘We have no hesitation in finding that the non-complying height of the buildings will block views to the south when viewed from the north side of Man St.

‘‘Those adverse effects are more than minor.’’ The panel has also been mindful of what it calls ‘‘the domino effect’’. ‘‘If the landowner in front builds above the height limit and blocks your vie.