Kāinga Ora Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast regional director Julia Campbell. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Kāinga Ora is pushing ahead with plans for a multi-storey development in Nelson on a site that has been on hold, the existing flats left vacant for more than a year.
The block of 10 bedsit flats on Examiner Street have been mostly empty since December 2022, with two used for temporary accommodation.
Kāinga Ora Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast regional director Julia Campbell said the redevelopment of the site had been on hold while Nelson City Council considered changes to its district plan.
Last August, Nelson City Council's elected members voted unanimously to progress a plan change that would see new residential zones introduced in the city, allowing for varying levels of housing density.
It received 880 submissions on the plan change, with a hearing to be held later this year and a decision on the plan change not expected until 2025.
In the last week, Kāinga Ora informed neighbours of the Examiner Street site that it planned to proceed with the project, irrespective of the plan change.
Campbell said the development was in its early stages, but was expected to provide up to 36 homes across two three-storey buildings. There was currently no timeframe for when construction could begin.
It had previously modelled concepts for four-, five- and six-storey buildings on the site, which drew the ire of nearby residents.
At a community meeting last July, neighbours raised concerns about the height and density of the development, the impact of parking and traffic on Examiner Street and other neighbouring streets, the shading of other properties and the safety of pets.
Residents also asked for more information about who would live in the development once it was completed, and raised concerns about the potential behaviour of future occupants.
Kāinga Ora had also purchased a neighbouring site on Wellington St that would be incorporated into the new development.
Campbell said it would keep neighbours and stakeholders informed as the development progressed.
