Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited Proposed New Building and Hotel 74 – 80 Wellesley Street West, Auckland Central. Report Prepared by: Kate Morrissey Senior Planner, Campbell Brown Planning Ltd Report Reviewed by: Philip Brown Director, Campbell Brown Planning Ltd Date of Issue: 9 July 2019 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 4 1.1 Proposal .......................................................................................................................... 4 2.0 The Applicant and Property Details .................................................................................... 5 3.0 Site Location ....................................................................................................................... 6 4.0 Description of the Existing Environment ............................................................................ 7 4.1 Application Site............................................................................................................... 7 4.2 Surrounding Area ........................................................................................................... 8 5.0 Description of the Proposal ................................................................................................ 9 5.1 Proposed New Hotel Site Layout .................................................................................... 9 5.2 Building Height and Gross Floor Area........................................................................... 11 5.3 Additional Features ...................................................................................................... 11 5.4 Building Signage ........................................................................................................... 12 5.5 Wind ............................................................................................................................. 13 5.6 Traffic and Parking ........................................................................................................ 13 5.7 Street Trees .................................................................................................................. 14 5.8 Earthworks.................................................................................................................... 14 5.9 Groundwater ................................................................................................................ 14 5.10 Stormwater and Wastewater Management ................................................................ 15 5.11 Water Supply and other Utilities .................................................................................. 15 5.12 Demolition Management ............................................................................................. 15 5.13 Noise, Vibration, and Construction Management........................................................ 16 5.14 Road Reserve and Auckland Transport Future Plans for Wellesley Street .................. 17 6.0 Resource Consents Required ............................................................................................ 18 6.1 Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in Part) ................................................................... 18 6.2 Overall Activity Status of the Application..................................................................... 20 7.0 Consultation ..................................................................................................................... 20 8.0 Section 104 Assessment ................................................................................................... 21 8.1 Actual and Potential Effects on the Environment ........................................................ 21 8.1.1 Effects of building demolition .............................................................................. 21 8.1.2 Effects of new building ......................................................................................... 22 8.1.3 Comprehensive Signage ....................................................................................... 26 1 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 8.1.4 Traffic Effects ........................................................................................................ 27 8.1.5 Pedestrian safety and amenity ............................................................................. 28 8.1.6 Bike Parking .......................................................................................................... 28 8.1.7 Infrastructure........................................................................................................ 29 8.1.8 Construction Effects, including noise, vibration and groundwater diversion ...... 29 8.1.9 Cumulative Effects ................................................................................................ 31 8.1.10 Positive Effects ..................................................................................................... 31 8.1.11 Overall Conclusion ................................................................................................ 32 8.2 Relevant Provisions of a Plan or Proposed Plan ........................................................... 32 8.2.1 Objectives and Policies ......................................................................................... 32 8.2.2 Assessment Criteria .............................................................................................. 34 8.3 Relevant Provisions of Other Statutory Documents .................................................... 34 8.4 Any Other Matters........................................................................................................ 35 9.0 Part 2 Matters................................................................................................................... 35 10.0 Section 104D Threshold Test ............................................................................................ 35 11.0 Notification Assessment ................................................................................................... 36 11.1 Public Notification (s95A) ............................................................................................. 36 11.2 Limited Notification (s95B) ........................................................................................... 37 12.0 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 39 List of Appendices Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D: Appendix E: Appendix F: Appendix G: Appendix H: Appendix I: Appendix J: Certificate of Title and Interests Design Statement - IGNITE Architects Architectural Drawings – IGNITE Architects Landscape Preliminary Design – Boffa Miskell Infrastructure Report – BECA Limited Waste Management Plan – Rubbish Direct Limited Topographical Survey and Height Survey Producer Statement – Survey Worx Limited Traffic Assessment – BECA Limited Wind Assessment – RWDI Anemos Limited Geotechnical Interpretive and Groundwater Assessment Report and Ground Contamination Assessment – Tonkin and Taylor 2 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Appendix K: Appendix L: Appendix M: Appendix N: Appendix O: Appendix P: Acoustics and Vibration Report – Agile Engineering Limited Facade External Reflectivity Confirmation – Sellick Consultants Assessment against AUP Standards Objectives and Policies of the Business – City Centre Zone Assessment Criteria Article ‘Heart of the City – Business’ 3 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 1.0 1.1 Executive Summary Proposal This land use application by Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited (‘the applicant’) relates to a proposal to demolish the existing buildings and construct a new hotel building at 74-80 Wellesley Street West, Central Auckland. The new building will be twelve storeys (plus basement) and comply with the maximum height limit set by the Volcanic Viewshaft Overlay. The building has been designed in general compliance with the development standards of the Business – City Centre zone and associated Auckland-wide rules. However, the building will infringe the maximum total floor area ratio standard, thus requiring resource consent as a noncomplying activity. The subject site is a fee simple title with existing service connections to public infrastructure located within the road reserve. The development has been designed in a comprehensive manner to ensure the most efficient use of the land and minimise any adverse environmental effects. The following assessment concludes that, subject to conditions of consent, any adverse actual or potential environmental effect arising from the proposal would be less than minor. The proposal would not be contrary to the objectives, policies, and assessment criteria of the Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in Part) (AUP (OP)). 4 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 2.0 The Applicant and Property Details Applicant: Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited Address for Service: C/- Campbell Brown Planning Limited P O Box 147001 Ponsonby AUCKLAND 1144 Attention: Kate Morrissey Email: kate@campbellbrown.co.nz (all written correspondence via email please) Location: 74-80 Wellesley Street West, Auckland Central. Legal Description: Lots 1 and 2, DP 156320 Unit Titles: NZ97A/654, NZ97A/655, NZ97A/656, NZ97A/657 Site Area: 998.25m2 Unitary Plan Zoning: Business – City Centre Zone Unitary Plan Overlays:  Natural Heritage: Regionally Significant Volcanic Viewshafts And Height Sensitive Areas Overlay - E10, Mount Eden, Viewshafts Unitary Plan Controls:  Macroinvertebrate Community Index – Urban/Rural Road Classification: Local 5 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 3.0 Site Location Figure 1: Aerial photo of subject site, 74-80 Wellesley Street West Figure 2: AUP(OP) Zoning map of 74-80 Wellesley Street West 6 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 4.0 4.1 Description of the Existing Environment Application Site The site is located on the southern side of Wellesley Street West in central Auckland, on the block between Nelson Street and Hobson Street (refer Figure 1). Wellesley Street, in this location, slopes downhill from east to west with an approximate gradient of 1:11. Wellesley Street has four lanes of traffic running in both east and west directions. The footpath outside the subject site is approximately 4.9m wide and includes three street trees and a street light pole. It is also noted that the apartment building at 72 Wellesley Street to the east of the subject site does not have a verandah that overhangs the footpath (refer site photos provided in Figure 3). The subject site is an amalgamation of two lots with a combined site area of 998.25m2 (approximately 30m wide and 35m deep) with two existing two-storey buildings located side by side. The buildings are set back from the road boundary with the front portion of the site used for off-street carparking associated with the existing business tenancies. The carpark is accessed via two separate vehicle crossings. There is also a free-standing billboard sign located beside the front west corner of the site. The site generally follows the gradient of Wellesley Street with the eastern boundary higher than the west. There are existing wastewater and stormwater connections from the site to the public reticulation networks located within the road reserve of Wellesley Street. The certificate of title and unit titles are attached as Appendix A. The site is within the Business – City Centre zone and covered by the Mt Eden Volcanic Viewshaft Overlay. View from Wellesley St (Source Google Maps Oct 2017) View of road boundary looking east towards 72 Wellesley Street. 7 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 View of rear of site from the City Works Carpark at 68 Nelson Street Rear of subject site and building as viewed from City Works Carpark at 68 Nelson Street Figure 3: Site Photos of 74-80 Wellesley Street (taken 09/08/2018) 4.2 Surrounding Area Wellesley Street West is a central Auckland location with the Sky City Convention Centre under construction directly opposite the subject site. Immediately adjacent to the subject site in the block bordered by Cook Street, Nelson Street, Wellesley Street and Hobson Street there are a number of existing 10 to 12 storey apartment buildings. Buildings that are directly adjacent to, or that overlook the subject site as shown in Figure 4 below. 72 Wellesley St Subject Site 125A Hobson St 135 Hobson St . Figure 4: Site Photos of Adjacent Apartment Buildings on Wellesley Street and Hobson Street (taken 9/08/2018) The resource consent design statement prepared by BECA and IGNITE (attached as Appendix B) provides a more detailed site and context analysis for this project. 8 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 5.0 5.1 Description of the Proposal Proposed New Hotel Site Layout The applicant proposes to remove the existing buildings and construct a new 12 storey, plus partial basement, building to be used as a hotel. The building will cover the majority of the site area and utilise the maximum height allowed without infringing the volcanic viewshaft E10 from Mt Eden. Figure 5: Rendering of the proposed new hotel building at 74-80 Wellesley Street (street elevation) The ground floor of the building will be constructed to the street frontage with a 3.115m deep tinted glass verandah constructed over the footpath along the bulk of the width of the building. Distance from the edge of canopy glazing to kerb is 1.540m. The verandah will be set in from the two sides of the building and will not cover the service entries. Given the slope of Wellesley Street the height of the verandah above the footpath will vary along the building frontage. The verandah will be 3m in height at the upper eastern end increasing to 4.9m in height above the footpath at the lower western end. 9 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 IGNITE architects has explained the reasons behind the proposed design of the verandah as follows: “The verandah is positioned vertically within the full height glazing zone between levels Ground and Level 01. If the verandah stretched the length of the façade it would result in an undesirable clearance height from ground of less than 3 meters at the eastern end due to topography levels. A continuous ‘flat’ canopy is also important architecturally as it complements the surrounding language of the northern facade.” Pedestrian access to the ground floor reception and cafe area will be provided direct from the footpath on Wellesley Street. A café, with operable walk-up window, will also be located on the ground floor overlooking the footpath. Vehicle access for visitor drop off and pick up and service deliveries will be provided via a 6m wide accessway on the west side of the site. This will lead to a rear laneway and loading area large enough to provide vehicle turning compliant with the 85th percentile car /truck tracking curve. The laneway and loading area is also large enough to accommodate a heavy vehicle such as a refuse collection truck (7.2m long and 3.2m tall). The south end of the laneway and loading area will be used for temporary parking for taxi pick up and drop offs as well as maintenance and service vehicles. The courtyard, just north of the loading area will also form part of a vertical void that extends up the height of the building and will be open to the elements at the roof level and at the western elevation of the building. The void will be approximately 6m deep and 19m wide. The courtyard will include an area of outdoor seating for guests which will be demarcated by landscaped areas providing both separation from vehicles as well as visual amenity to the outdoor area. The surrounding walls of the accessway and courtyard will also be landscaped with living walls using shade tolerant plants as shown in the proposed Landscape Plan prepared by Boffa Miskell and attached as Appendix D. The first floor will contain a restaurant, and function rooms with associated kitchen, service areas, and lobby space. The rear of the first floor will contain hotel staff offices, bathrooms and staff canteen. Floors 2 to 10 will contain the guest rooms. The 11th floor will also contain guest rooms at the front of the building with the rear area containing a gym and building plant equipment that will be enclosed and/or screened on the roof top. The total number of guest rooms is 191. Each floor has a row of rooms that face north overlooking Wellesley Street West. All other rooms are located around the central void of the building. This layout will provide each room with daylight access and outlook. Privacy across the void will be provided with guest room tinting of glazing. Additional privacy will also be provided to guests with blinds and/or curtains. Details of the proposed privacy screening is shown in the Design Statement (page 25) attached as Appendix B and the Courtyard Elevation drawing (RC2005) attached within Appendix C. 10 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 The partial basement level (388m2 gross floor area) will be located on the east side of the laneway with a floor to floor depth of 3.7m. The basement will include building services including a water tank, fire pump room, lift pit, workshop and staff and storage areas. The proposal does not include any onsite visitor car parking which is in line with Table E27.6.2.1 of the AUP(OIP) which sets the maximum parking rates for the Business – City Centre zone and does not set a minimum parking rate. 5.2 Building Height and Gross Floor Area The proposed new building will have a maximum height of RL74.960m with lift overrun areas at RL75.981, remaining below the maximum height allowed. Survey Worx Limited has provided a producer statement (refer Appendix G) in support of this application confirming that by calculation only, the proposed building will sit below the Volcanic Viewshaft and maximum allowable height limit. Thus the proposed building height is a permitted activity pursuant to Activity Table D14.4.1(A1)(1). The proposed new hotel floor layout will have a gross floor area of 9,184m2 or ratio of 9.20:1, infringing the Maximum total floor area ratio of 6:1 as set by standard H8.6.21 of the Business – City Centre zone. Table 1 below sets out the gross floor area provisions and infringements with more detailed calculations provided in Appendix M. The gross floor area layout is illustrated on drawing RC8001 of Appendix C. Site Area Basic Floor Area Ratio 998.25m2 4:1 (3,993m2) Max Bonus Floor Area Allowed (Area 4) 1:1 (998.25m2) for residential accommodation Max Total Floor Area Ratio Proposed Total Floor Area/Ratio 6:1 (5,989.5m2) 9,184m2 / 9.20:1 Table 1: Proposed gross floor area. 5.3 Additional Features The applicant proposes to provide some additional visual amenity to the internal outlook spaces around the central void by leaving open the western side of the wall. This will maximise sunlight and daylight access to the void in the short to medium term while the existing lower buildings to the west at 84 and 86 Wellesley Street remain. The void will be supported by ‘overclad structural ties’ up the west elevation with metal trellis acting as a form of cladding to support climbing plant species which will eventually create a green wall extending up the entire height of the void. This will not only provide visual amenity to the internal guest rooms but also break up the visible façade of the building as viewed from the west. 11 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 It is acknowledged that the west elevation may well be screened from view in the long-term if and when the properties at 84 and 86 Wellesley Street are developed to their full permitted height. Renderings of the proposed building including the west elevation are provided in the architectural drawing set and the design statement prepared by IGNITE, attached as appendices B and C. The rendering of the west elevation is copied below in Figure 6. Figure 6: Rendering of the proposed west elevation showing the open central void and green wall. 5.4 Building Signage The applicant also proposes to install hotel brand signage on the building in the form of a verandah sign and wall mounted signs. The signs will include lettering spelling out “Hotel Grand Chancellor” and the company logo. All signs will be backlit and will be visible as a silhouette during the hours of darkness. The signs will be in four locations: I. II. III. IV. Aluminium lettering mounted on top of the verandah at the street edge. Aluminium wall mounted company logo located on the street elevation directly above the service entrance to the west of the vehicle accessway. Aluminium lettering wall mounted at the very top of the north/ street elevation. Aluminium wall mounted company logo located at the top south-west corner of the west elevation. 12 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Detailed drawings of the proposed signs showing their size and location are provided on the architectural drawing RC7004 attached as Appendix C. Images of the proposed signs are also shown on the renderings shown in Figures 5 and 6 above. 5.5 Wind The application is supported by a wind assessment undertaken by RWDI Anemos Limited, attached as Appendix I. The assessment concludes that the proposed new building will comply with the development standards set out in H8.6.28. 5.6 Traffic and Parking The vehicle accessway, loading bay and turning area has been designed to comply with the required size dimensions set out in chapter E27 Transport of the AUP(OIP). It is also noted that while Wellesley Street is identified as an arterial road the site is not within the General Frontage Control area of the City Centre zone. The proposed accessway and loading bay is large enough to accommodate a maximum 8m long rigid truck with on-site manoeuvring to exit in a forward direction. The largest truck expected at the hotel is for private waste collection and will be 7.2m long as described in the Waste Management Plan prepared by Rubbish Direct and attached as Appendix F. The Hotel Grand Chancellor will not be accepting tour coaches at this hotel. The accessway has been designed to accommodate two-way traffic in order to allow traffic to enter the site without needing to queue within the median strip on Wellesley Street itself. Traffic exiting the site will be directed to turn left only and regular delivery vehicles will be directed to enter from the east with a left turn off Wellesley Street. The proposed development does not include the provision of any onsite vehicle parking as permitted within the Business – City Centre zone. Secure bicycle parking will be provided for staff on the ground floor in a room to the west of the access lane. Additional bicycle parking is not provided specifically for visitors as it is not expected that visitors to the hotel will arrive by bike. If this does occur arrangements will be made for secure parking within the staff bicycle parking room. The main pedestrian access to the building is located on Wellesley Street to the east of the vehicle crossing. Additional points of entrance are also located within the laneway and courtyard. The existing vehicle crossings will be removed and the footpath reinstated with the western crossing reformed to access the hotel. The street light located directly in front of the subject site 13 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 will be relocated to avoid conflict with the vehicle crossing. The new location will be determined in consultation with Auckland Transport. BECA has undertaken a transport assessment of the proposed development which discusses the traffic and transport effects and concludes that the traffic generated by the hotel can be safely accommodated on the subject site and within the surrounding road network. 5.7 Street Trees The construction of the proposed new building and associated infrastructure will require some pruning of the existing street trees and works within the dripline of the westernmost tree to install a new telecommunications connection. Given the proximity of the trees to the subject site the applicant would accept a condition of consent requiring tree protection fencing be erected during the construction period. Such a condition would ensure the contractors onsite were aware of the requirements to protect the trees in their current condition. 5.8 Earthworks The construction of the proposed building platform, basement, vehicle access and associated infrastructure will require earthworks of 3,700m3 across the 1,000m2 site. The proposed earthworks are considered to be of an appropriate scale for the development and have been minimised with a partial basement proposed only as necessary to service the proposed building. Erosion and sediment control measures will be put in place prior to construction to ensure all earthworks are contained on the site and sediment runoff to stormwater networks is avoided and/or minimised. Details of the proposed earthworks are provided in the Infrastructure Report prepared by BECA Limited attached as Appendix E. 5.9 Groundwater The excavation and construction of the proposed basement will be to a depth that will encounter groundwater. Tonkin and Taylor has undertaken a geotechnical interpretive and groundwater assessment of the site and proposed development, refer report attached as Appendix J. The groundwater will be drained during construction in order to control the build-up of groundwater pressure behind the basement wall and beneath the foundation slabs. Tonkin and Taylor has assessed the effects of ground settlement on the site and neighbouring buildings and underground services during construction and the effects are considered to be within accepted design tolerances. The final basement design will be tanked and it is assumed that the 14 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 groundwater level will return to normal conditions once construction is complete and Tonkin and Taylor advise that there will be no long-term groundwater drawdown effects. The geotechnical interpretive and groundwater assessment report includes a number of recommendations that form part of this application. Subject to the implementation of these recommendations the proposed building and its construction is considered to be suitable for the subject site and groundwater conditions. 5.10 Stormwater and Wastewater Management The Infrastructure Report prepared by BECA (Appendix E) includes an assessment of the existing stormwater and wastewater infrastructure servicing the site. The report also includes proposed new infrastructure to service the proposed new hotel building. BECA proposes to replace the existing connection to the public stormwater network running down Wellesley Street with a new 225mm pipe. A new connection will be made outside the north-west corner of the site. A connection will then run north to the main network. BECA also proposes to replace the existing wastewater connection and install a new line from the site to the main public network within Wellesley Street. The new line will be 225mm pipe which is considered suitable for the scale of the proposed development. BECA has assessed the capacity of the public network and advised that the existing public network has enough capacity for the catchment and the proposed new hotel development. 5.11 Water Supply and other Utilities The proposal includes new connections to the public water supply network located within the road reserve. Other utilities such as telecommunications, electricity and gas will also be connected to existing services located within the road reserve. 5.12 Demolition Management The demolition of the existing buildings will occur in a safe and controlled manner. The existing buildings are set back approximately 11m from the road boundary which provides plenty of room for machinery and building debris to be wholly contained within the site boundaries. In addition, the open site boundaries to the north and south will be screened off by construction hoardings to separate the work site from the public footpath, thus preventing members of the public entering the site. Figure 7 below shows the construction hoardings currently located on 15 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 the northern side of Wellesley Street associated with the Sky City Convention Centre construction site. Figure 7: Construction hoardings on northern side of Wellesley Street. It is acknowledged that any proposed signage that is incorporated into the hoardings will need to comply with the Signage Bylaw 2015 or apply for approval. This will be assessed once the style and design of the hoardings is confirmed closer to the time of works commencing. Upon completion, all building debris will be removed and the site left in a clean and clear condition. It is expected that construction of the new hotel building would commence after the demolition works are complete. The proposed demolition works will occur within the normal construction constraints on noise and vibration. A detailed demolition management plan including a traffic management plan will be prepared and submitted to Council for approval prior to works commencing. The applicant would accept a condition of consent to this effect. 5.13 Noise, Vibration, and Construction Management The proposal has the potential to generate noise and vibration during the construction phase of the project, and noise through the operation of the hotel once constructed. The applicant has commissioned Agile Engineering Consultants Limited (‘Agile’) to consider and address potential issues relating to acoustics and vibration. Agile has prepared a report setting out its findings in respect of acoustic and vibration matters (refer Appendix K). 16 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 The report concludes that noise associated with operation of the hotel will comply comfortably with AUP noise limits, subject to mechanical services attenuators and noise barriers being installed where necessary around rooftop services such as the chiller and air conditioning extraction fans. Façade systems and glazing will need to be selected to ensure attenuation of external noise sources can occur so that noise levels within hotel rooms meets the appropriate AUP standard. This will be addressed at detailed design stage, and through the building consent process, but the Agile report concludes that compliance can be achieved without difficulty. Agile has calculated that, with mitigation and careful management by the contractor, piling activities can either comply with AUP noise and vibration standards or come close to compliance. Consent is sought to exceed the permitted activity construction noise levels by 5dBA during the ground works phase, which comprises the period from demolition through to completion of ground slab and piles. Agile has estimated that for most construction works, the permitted activity standards for vibration are likely to be achieved, although vibro-driven pile casings would infringe the amenity limits. Pile casings would need careful management and monitoring to avoid exceeding the DIN 4150-3 limits where works are in very close proximity to the boundary. The methodology for undertaking construction work will be addressed in a Construction Noise and Vibration Management Plan (CNVMP). This plan will be prepared once the head contractor has been appointed and will cover all aspects of the construction work that have potential to give rise to noise and vibration. The consent holder will also prepare a broader Construction Management Plan (CMP) of which the CNVMP will be a subset. The CMP will address all aspects of the construction phase of the project and will be provided to Council for certification prior to works commencing on the site. The applicant will accept a condition of consent to this effect. It is expected that the CMP will also manage the movement and standing of construction traffic, as it is recognised that Wellesley Street West is a busy arterial road and management of construction traffic to and from the site will be necessary. Temporary footpath arrangements will be required to cater for pedestrian movement during the construction phase, to ensure that access is maintained and pedestrian safety measures are in place at all times. 5.14 Road Reserve and Auckland Transport Future Plans for Wellesley Street It is noted from the pre-application meeting minutes that Auckland Transport is planning to upgrade Wellesley Street in the future, including a redesign of the road layout directly in front of the subject site. The proposed building and vehicle access has been designed to accommodate these changes, based on the current understanding of these proposals. 17 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 6.0 Resource Consents Required 6.1 Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in Part) To enable this development, resource consent is required under the Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in Part). The provisions of the legacy Auckland Council District Plan (Central Area Section) have now largely fallen away and no longer apply to the site, with no appeals to site zoning or management layers outstanding. The application has been assessed against the relevant rules and development standards of the AUP(OIP), see full table attached as Appendix M. To enable this development resource consent is required under the AUP(OP)for the following reasons: Business – City Centre zone H8.4.1 Activity Table    (A32) the construction of the new hotel building requires consent as a Restricted Discretionary activity. (A61) the demolition of the existing buildings requires consent as a Controlled activity. (A45) the proposed building will exceed the total maximum floor area ration of 6:1 set by Standard H8.6.21 requiring consent as a Non-complying activity. The proposed floor area ratio is 9.19:1. H8.6.11 Bonus Floor Area Ratio  The creation of bonus floor area due to the provision of the residential bonus feature requires resource consent as a Restricted Discretionary activity. C1.9. Infringement of Standards The proposed new hotel building will infringe the following standards of H8 Business – City Centre zone, requiring resource consent for a Restricted Discretionary activity.  H8.6.26. The proposed verandah does not extend along the full width of the building frontage and will have a maximum height above the footpath of 4.9m at the western end. 18 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Transport Activity Table E27.4.1  (A5) Construction or use of a vehicle crossing where a Vehicle Access Restriction applies under Standards E27.6.4.1(2) or E27.6.4.1(3). Wellesley Street West is an arterial road and a new activity is being established on the site, requiring consideration as a Restricted Discretionary activity.  E27.6.2 Parking. Required bicycle parking rates Table E27.6.2.5 (T82) visitor accommodation. No bicycle parks will be provided for visitors where 11 spaces are required. Diversion of groundwater Activity Table E7.4.1  (A20) Dewatering or groundwater level control associated with a groundwater diversion authorised as a restricted discretionary activity under the AUP (OP), not meeting permitted activity standards or is not otherwise listed. The groundwater take will occur for a period of greater than 30 days in soil or rock during the construction of the proposed building. Resource consent for a Restricted Discretionary Activity is required.  (A28) The diversion of groundwater caused by any excavation, (including trench) or tunnel that does not meet the permitted activity standards or not otherwise listed. The excavations for the proposed basement will be to a depth of 5.3m with adjacent buildings directly abutting the site boundary. Resource consent for a Restricted Discretionary Activity is required. Earthworks Activity Table E12.4.1  (A10) Proposed earthworks in the Business City Centre zone of 3,700m3 requires consent for a Restricted Discretionary Activity. Signs Activity Table E23.4.2  (A53) Comprehensive Development Signage requires consent for a Restricted Discretionary Activity. 19 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Noise and Vibration Activity Table E25.4.1  6.2 (A2) Activities that do not comply with a permitted activity standard are assessed as a Restricted Discretionary Activity. Table E25.6.28.2 sets a construction noise limit for longer term construction activities of 75dB LAeq (30 min) during normal construction hours (Monday to Friday, 6.30am-10.30pm). Estimates from the applicant’s acoustic engineer suggest that this limit may be breached by up to 5dB during the ground works phase of the construction project. Table E25.6.30.1 sets daytime vibration limits for sensitive activities (residential uses) of a peak particle velocity limit of 2mm/s. This limit can be exceeded for three days or less over the course of a construction project. Consent is sought to exceed the threshold for up to three times per week during the groundworks phase of the construction project. Overall Activity Status of the Application Overall, the application is to be considered as a Non-complying Activity under the AUP(OP). 7.0 Consultation It is considered that any potential adverse effects associated with this proposal would generate less than minor adverse effects to surrounding neighbouring properties. For this reason, consultation with surrounding property owners or other parties has not been undertaken. The site is located within the city centre, is highly modified and not identified as being a site or place of significance to Mana Whenua in the AUP(OIP). The proposed building will comply with the maximum height control of the Volcanic Viewshaft and Height Sensitive Area Overlay. For these reasons it was not considered necessary to seek comment from Mana Whenua. A number of pre-application meetings have been held with Auckland Council since early 2018. The most recent meeting was held at Auckland Council on 5 June 2019 with Earl Brookbanks the reporting planner. No formal minutes were produced, however, it was confirmed via email from both Earl Brookbanks and Georgia Fear, urban design specialist, that the proposed building design addressed the concerns with the previously submitted building design and that the proposal would not need to be presented at the Urban Design Panel. 20 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 8.0 Section 104 Assessment A consent authority must have regard to a number of matters under section 104 of the Resource Management Act 1991 when considering an application for resource consent. In the case of the subject application those considerations include the actual and potential effects of an activity on the environment, the relevant provisions of a district plan, regional policy statement or other relevant statutory document, and any other matter the consent authority considers relevant and reasonably necessary to determine the application. The following assessment addresses all relevant considerations under s104 of the RMA. 8.1 Actual and Potential Effects on the Environment 8.1.1 Effects of building demolition The potential adverse effects to arise from the demolition of the existing building relate to the actual demolition works themselves and the amenity effects of the site on the surrounding city centre area post demolition. The demolition of the existing buildings will occur in a professionally managed and controlled manner with the implementation of a demolition management plan including traffic management. The setback of the buildings from the road boundary will allow machinery and construction traffic to pull off the road entirely. The site will be fully fenced and screened along the two open boundaries to the north and south so as to ensure that the works are fully contained within the site. High-quality construction hoardings erected along the road boundary will work to ensure continued safe pedestrian movement along the footpath in front of the site. These measures will ensure that any adverse safety effects will be properly managed and thus avoided or minimised. The construction hoardings used will not only act as a safety barrier but will also work to maintain an acceptable level of street amenity during the works period. The modern hoardings available are designed to avoid graffiti or vandalism through the use of material and/or temporary signage or artwork, thus minimising areas of blank wall available for graffiti. The applicant is the owner of the subject site and intends to commence construction of the new building immediately upon completion of demolition works. The construction of the new building requires the complete clearance of the site and thus if there is to be a delay in the construction works commencing the site will be left in a clear and clean state. For these reasons it is considered that any potential adverse effects on the visual amenity of the surrounding area arising from the demolition works and temporarily vacant site will be minimised as much as practicable in this location. 21 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Overall, it is considered that the proposed demolition of the existing buildings will occur in a professional manner expected of every construction site in the City Centre zone. Any potential adverse effects relation to visual amenity and public safety will be avoided and minimised to be less than minor. Appropriate conditions of consent are welcomed to ensure contractors are clearly informed of site management requirements. 8.1.2 Effects of new building 8.1.2.1 Sense of Place The design of the proposed new building’s street frontage and internal hotel floor layout will provide an attractive and active street frontage to Wellesley Street. The design of the single accessway with the courtyard at the rear of the building allows the hotel to maximise its frontage to the street. The glass façade and main pedestrian access at street level will provide an attractive and active frontage with visual surveillance to the hotel’s reception, lounge area and café, which will be open to the public. The main pedestrian entrance will gain access directly from the footpath beneath the 3m wide glass verandah that will stretch along much of the building’s frontage and provide practical shelter to pedestrians and hotel visitors. The first floor glass façade and floor plan has also been designed to directly front and overlook the road boundary and be visible from the street. The upper levels are arranged to maximise the northern outlook with floor to ceiling glazing of guest rooms allowing outlook across the road reserve. The front of the building aligns with adjacent buildings on Wellesley Street and in meeting the volcanic view shaft height constraints does not appear incongruous to the existing built environment present along both Wellesley Street and Hobson Street. The use of the building as a hotel complements the dominant use of surrounding buildings for residential (apartment) accommodation. The hotel also complements the commercial activities within the Auckland CBD including the New Zealand International Convention Centre which is currently under construction directly opposite the subject site. The site is not located in a character area and is immediately adjacent to other modern buildings including 10 – 12 storey apartment buildings on Hobson Street, Cook Street and Nelson Streets. The new hotel building will complement the modern character of this section of the city centre. The design of the building, proposed building materials and internal floor layout will provide an active and attractive frontage to Wellesley Street West that will positively contribute to the streetscape and help provide a sense of place and connection to this western edge of the CBD. 22 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 8.1.2.2 Building Form and Finishes The proposed building has a clear visual design and appearance that makes use of the short to medium term exposure of the western elevation, which would expect to be built out by future development on the adjacent properties at 84 and 86 Wellesley Street. Modulation will be provided to the street elevation through both horizontal and vertical members that not only provide separation for guest rooms but also create symmetry within the building. The penthouse level will be distinct with a horizontal module that frames the lower vertical modules. The western elevation makes use of the existing open outlook to the west and across the upper Waitemata Harbour towards Birkenhead. The void at the rear of the building will remain open to the west with a green wall established to provide both daylight access and visual amenity to the guest rooms at the rear of the building, as well as provide visual interest to the building when viewed from Wellesley Street West and beyond. The rear blank wall faces the internal area of the city block and, given the existing surrounding development, it is not likely that this wall will front any future public open space or street. The rear wall faces south and, along with the potential risk of being built out by adjacent properties, would not be an ideal outlook for the proposed hotel rooms. Thus this wall is not considered to be a practical space to include any windows or architectural features such as modulation, relief or surface detailing other than minor detailing in the precast concrete. The proposed new hotel building is modern and considered to be of a high standard of design that will be an attractive addition to the surrounding area and streetscape. In addition, the building complies with the maximum height and wind standards of the AUP(OP). Overall, it is considered that the proposed new building bulk and design will make a positive contribution to the local amenity of Wellesley Street West and the wider central city environment, with any potential adverse effects being less than minor. 8.1.2.3 Internal design and layout of visitor accommodation The proposed new building has been designed specifically for the intended use as a hotel. Thus the internal design and floor layout reflects the requirements of the Hotel Grand Chancellor. The ground floor and first floor are designed to provide the communal visitor services such as reception, lounge, restaurant and cafe. These floors provide an active frontage to Wellesley Street with safe pedestrian access to the hotel prioritised. Vehicle access is for pick-up and dropoff only and is provided at a rear courtyard, thus minimising the impact of vehicle access on pedestrian safety and amenity as well as maximising the visual amenity of the building as it relates to streetscape character. 23 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 The residential floors above level 2 have a repetitive floor layout in order to make the most efficient use of the floor space available for hotel rooms. The proposed hotel has been designed to provide each room with the required outlook space with the majority of rooms positioned to have an outlook over the road boundary or across the internal void at the rear of the building. The proposed window treatments and green walls will provide both privacy and visual interest to the outlook space across the void shared by multiple guest rooms. Overall, it is considered that the proposed internal design of the hotel both meets the needs of the hotel and its guests as well as contributes positively to the character and amenity of Wellesley Street itself. 8.1.2.4 Effects of additional floor area. The proposed hotel building has been designed to make the most efficient use of the building envelope available in order to maximise the number of hotel rooms that can be provided on the site. This has resulted in an infringement to the maximum floor area ratio standard of 6:1. The calculated infringement occurs due to the ‘maximum floor area ratio limit to bonuses on a site’ for visitor accommodation set out in Table H8.6.11.1 ‘Bonus Floor Area’. The table provides for bonus floor area for visitor accommodation at a rate of 2m 2 per 1m2 of feature provided, however, the Table then limits the bonus on the site to 1:1 or 998.25m2. The additional floor area provides approximately three additional floors of visitor accommodation, in this instance 60 hotel rooms. The building has been designed to comply with the maximum building height requirement of the volcanic viewshaft overlay as well as providing the required residential amenity within the building, particularly in relation to outlook space. The building has also been designed in general compliance with the other external design controls such as the provision of verandahs and building frontage to the road boundary. The building also complies with the wind standards of the Business – City Centre zone. As discussed in the sections above the proposed new building is considered to contribute positively to the character and amenity of the wider city centre as well as the local streetscape character and pedestrian amenity. In addition the hotel has been designed with no onsite parking, thus the additional floor area will not attract any additional private vehicles into the central city. Visitors will be actively encouraged to utilise public transport or private taxi services. The size and shape of the building is such that it provides internal sunlight and daylight access from all rooms with outlook across the internal void. The building will be of a similar height to those adjacent apartment buildings located along Hobson Street. 24 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 It is for these reasons that it is considered that the proposed additional floor area within the proposed building can be provided without any directly attributable adverse effects on the city centre zone. The basic, bonus and maximum floor area ratio standards of the Business - City Centre zone state their purposes as the following:    H8.6.10 manage the scale of development in the city centre. H8.6.11 encourage developments to be designed, contain activities or provide features that provide a benefit to the public. H8.6.21 manage the overall scale of development in the city centre. The scale of the proposed building and its physical effects on the city centre zone have been discussed above. The purpose of H8.6.11 ‘Bonus Floor Area Ratios’ is to encourage developments that provide features that provide a benefit to the public. The proposed building is purposefully designed for the Hotel Grand Chancellor to provide additional visitor accommodation in the Auckland central business district. Visitor accommodation, while provided by a private company, is considered to be a vital public benefit to the economy and vibrancy of Auckland City. Auckland City is currently experiencing a significant shortage in hotel accommodation with current occupancy levels at capacity. There have been a number of recent reports produced by organisations such as the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment New Zealand (MBIE)1 and Colliers International23 which project a shortfall of approximately 2,000 hotel rooms by 2025 with international visitor numbers forecast to increase by 39% (on 2016 numbers) to the year 2023. The forecast shortfall takes into account the projected construction of new accommodation over the next 10 year period, thus making the requirement for any new visitor accommodation vital to meet the projected growth in visitor numbers. The expected shortfall is more fully described in the article titled “A Surge in New Hotels for the City Centre in Response to Accommodation Shortage” published by Heart of the City – Business dated 1 November 2017 and attached as Appendix P. It is acknowledged that there are a number of new hotels currently under construction or in the planning stages that will reduce this shortfall leaving the actual construction and opening of new hotels in the long-term a matter for closer economic consideration by investors. 1 http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-researchdata/international-tourism-forecasts/documents-image-library/forecasts-2017-report-final.pdf 2 https://www.nzte.govt.nz/about/news/news-and-features//media/01339B01B28943788C2D92F51BEEA48D.ashx 3 http://www.colliers.co.nz/find%20research/hotels/new%20zealand%20hotel%20market%20snapshot% 20october%202017/ 25 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 In any case, the public benefit to the provision of visitor accommodation is realised through the flow on benefits to the economy from increased visitor numbers. These visitors contribute to the tourism economy as well as local retail and entertainment businesses. The provision of additional visitor accommodation also allows Auckland City to host major international events such as the upcoming Americas Cup and the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) in 2021. For the reasons stated above it is considered that the proposed additional floor area to be used for visitor accommodation is appropriate for this site at 74-80 Wellesley Street West, Auckland Central. The additional floor area would be provided within a high quality modern building that has been designed to respond positively to the local streetscape and city centre environment while also complying with the maximum height requirements that preserve the viewshaft to Mt Eden. The additional scale and intensity of development the additional floor area provides will have less than minor adverse effects on the amenity of the City Centre zone and its capacity to accommodate more intensive development. 8.1.3 Comprehensive Signage The proposed signs reflect the existing branding of Hotel Grand Chancellor. The size of the signs is considered to be appropriate for legibility and are considered to be in proportion relative to their location on the proposed building. The number of signs has been minimised and designed to integrate with the building itself. The size of the flat wall mounted sign at the top of the west elevation reflects its location on the wall at level 11 which lends itself to a larger size to ensure visibility and legibility. The sign is a small portion of the building façade and will not dominate the views from adjacent properties. Legibility and visibility of hotel signage is important as it will assist visitors to find their booked accommodation, and many of these visitors will be unfamiliar with the city and the location of hotels. Both flat wall mounted signs show the logo of the hotel and acts as both commercial advertising but also an identifier of location for passers-by. The lettering signage on the northern elevation at both verandah level and at the penthouse is also considered to be in proportion with the size of the building and will not dominate the appearance of the building from the road and further afield. The proposed back-lighting of the signs will provide a legible silhouette effect during the hours of darkness that will be discreet within the night-time cityscape. Both the wall mounted and lettered signs are considered to be appropriately located and will appear as integrated elements of the building. They will appear flat to the building facade and will not project beyond the building envelope. 26 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 There is not an overabundance of signs in the surrounding area and the signs will be viewed on their own. There are not considered to be any resulting cumulative effects arising from the proposed hotel signage. The signs at ground floor level are small and while visible from the road reserve are not located or designed to be obtrusive within the streetscape. The signs identify the location of the hotel with the lighting allowing them to be visible during the hours of darkness. The signs will therefore not have any adverse effects on traffic or pedestrian safety. 8.1.4 Traffic Effects The proposed design of the hotel building and its internal site layout will reduce the number of existing vehicle crossings at the subject site from two to one. This reduction in crossings and design of the proposed building frontage will result in an improvement to traffic and pedestrian safety and amenity in this location on Wellesley Street West, an identified arterial road. The design of the building frontage at ground floor level has also taken into account the proposals by Auckland Transport to redesign the road corridor along Wellesley Street to include new bus stops on the southern side of the road directly outside the subject site. The location of the proposed vehicle entrance on the western side of the site will avoid any potential interference with the future bus-stops, based on the current understanding of the proposed street upgrades. The proposed verandah width and depth has been designed to provide shelter over the existing footpath without interfering with the existing street trees or locations of future bus-stops. In summary, the proposed hotel development complements the proposed changes to the road layout. BECA has assessed the proposed vehicle access arrangements against the standards of the AUP(OP) and concluded that the new crossing and accessway will provide safe and efficient access to and from the site to Wellesley Street. The single vehicle crossing while 6.0m wide will result in an improved arrangement for both pedestrians and vehicles entering and exiting the site. The proposed layout will provide a longer uninterrupted stretch of footpath for pedestrians to pass by the site and gather at the entrance for sheltered and direct access to the hotel from the street. The proposed accessway will accommodate two-way traffic with onsite vehicle manoeuvring so vehicles exit in a forward direction. This arrangement will mean vehicles can enter the site without having to queue within the road carriageway. The traffic generation that is minimised by the lack of onsite parking will mean that any queuing that does occur will be minimal and of short duration. Service vehicle access will be controlled through the management of the hotel and restricted to hours that do not conflict with peak times for guest arrivals and departures which are generally expected to occur in the morning between 10 and 11am. 27 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Overall, it is considered that the proposed hotel development, including the vehicle access design and expected traffic generation will have less than minor adverse effects on the safe and efficient movement of traffic accessing the site and the surrounding road network. The reduction in vehicle crossings coupled with the new building frontage will result in an improved pedestrian environment in this location. 8.1.5 Pedestrian safety and amenity The proposed ground floor layout of the hotel has separated pedestrian and vehicle access with the majority of the building frontage designed as an active pedestrian frontage. The main pedestrian entrance to the building is located directly from the footpath with the vehicle access well separated to the west of the site. The accessway directs vehicles to an internal courtyard at the rear of the building with a separate visitor entrance direct to the hotel reception area. This separation avoids potential conflict between vehicles and pedestrians both within the hotel site and within the road reserve. The internal courtyard will also be landscaped with green walls, large planter pots and an architectural curtain feature to provide an outdoor seating area that is physically separated from the adjacent vehicle manoeuvring areas. The increased area of street frontage and clear footpath improves both the visual amenity of the streetscape but also improves general pedestrian safety and amenity in front of the site. It does this by providing a larger area of the footpath which is uninterrupted by vehicle crossings and means the ground floor of the hotel can interact directly with pedestrians. The footpath will be covered by a glass verandah which will be illuminated by a ceiling mounted lightbar that extends along its length. Additional light spill will also occur from the internal ground floor area of the hotel through the glass façade which is deemed acceptable by standard H8.6.26(7). The internal vehicle access and courtyard will be lit day and night to provide a safe vehicle access and working environment at all times. Overall it is considered that the proposed development will create a safe and attractive pedestrian environment directly outside the subject site on Wellesley Street West which would be a significant improvement to the current environment. The internal layout of the accessway and courtyard will also provide a safe and attractive space for pedestrians. 8.1.6 Bike Parking The proposed hotel will provide secure onsite bicycle parking for staff as required by the AUP (OP). 28 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 It is not expected that hotel guests will cycle to the hotel given the nature of the business and the luggage accompanying guests. The proposed hotel does not include conference facilities that would be used by third parties local to the city. Further the café while open to the public is not likely to be a ‘destination’ but instead is expected to be utilised by pedestrians passing by and guests of the hotel, likewise the restaurant. It is for these reasons that the hotel does not propose to provide separate bicycle parking for visitors. However, if visitors do require secure parking arrangements will be made for them to utilise the staff parking facilities. The bike storage room is provided on the ground floor accessed directly from the vehicle accessway. This location is convenient for staff and visitors alike. Overall, it is considered that the bicycle parking proposed will be sufficient to service the needs of the hotel staff and visitors. 8.1.7 Infrastructure The proposed new building and associated infrastructure has been designed to fully service the proposed hotel building. The Infrastructure Report prepared by BECA (Appendix E) has confirmed that the existing public stormwater and wastewater infrastructure has the capacity to accommodate the new development as well as the upstream catchment areas. New connections from the site to the main lines running along Wellesley Street West will be sized to accommodate the volumes expected by the proposed hotel. The existing site is almost entirely covered with impermeable surfaces so the increase in stormwater runoff from the proposed development will be negligible with less than minor adverse effects on the existing public infrastructure and the natural environment where the water eventually discharges downstream of the site. New connections will be made to all other utility services located within the road reserve in order that the proposed hotel is fully serviced with electricity, gas and telecommunications. 8.1.8 Construction Effects, including noise, vibration and groundwater diversion General construction related effects will relate to demolition works, earthworks, the installation of services, general contractor movements and the physical construction of the building and its foundations. All construction activities will be undertaken in accordance with the relevant requirements of the AUP(OP) relating to construction noise and vibration, traffic management and earthworks management The AUP(OP) acknowledges that earthworks are an essential prerequisite for development of urban land and focuses on managing earthworks through best practice land management techniques to minimise sediment entering water bodies during the land development process. The proposed earthworks are considered to be of a scale that is commensurate to the proposed development. The design of the building, including the partial basement, show that the earthworks required to construct the building have been minimised. 29 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 All works will be wholly contained within the subject site and appropriate erosion and sediment control measures will be implemented prior to construction commencing that will avoid and minimise sediment entering the public stormwater network and road network. The excavation works required to construct the basement will be retained to secure the site, proposed building and surrounding area from long-term instability. The geotechnical and groundwater assessment prepared by Tonkin and Taylor (Appendix J) has determined that groundwater diversion during construction works will be required. This report provides a detailed discussion of the proposed groundwater diversion and resultant effects. In summary, the assessment concludes that the resultant ground settlement and follow-on effects to the structural integrity of surrounding buildings and public infrastructure would be within their designed tolerance limits. The building has been designed to withstand the long-term pressure of the groundwater which is expected to return to normal levels upon completion of construction works. Tonkin and Taylor make a number of recommendations for both construction and building design that form part of this application. Compliance with these recommendations and the temporary nature of the groundwater diversion will mean that any immediate or long-term adverse effects to the stability of the land and surrounding physical environment would be less than minor. The proposed works will not result in any contamination of waterways or aquifers. The required demolition and construction works will not be unusual and are intended to be undertaken in a manner that allows compliance with the AUP(OP) noise and vibration controls. An assessment of the potential noise and vibration effects undertaken by Agile Engineering Consultants (Appendix K) has, however, determined that given the proximity of the apartments and open balconies at 125 Hobson Street, there will more than likely be instances when the noise and vibration emissions from the piling work associated with basement construction will exceed the permitted activity levels set by the AUP(OP). The levels of infringement are considered to be small but unavoidable. The proposed building size and design is not unique in the central city area and is to be expected during the construction of such a building. Agile Engineering Consultants has identified that the emissions can be minimised with the use of physical noise barriers and active on-site management of machine use. These measures along with notification of works to the neighbouring properties will form part of a construction noise and vibration management plan (CNVMP) to be submitted for approval prior to works commencing on site. Overall, the construction of the proposed new building will for the most part comply with the permitted activity standards of the AUP(OP) relating to noise and vibration. Any potential infringements that occur are likely to be manageable and temporary in duration while the basement is constructed. The proposed CNVMP will include measures to minimise the level of disturbance to the adjacent apartments. 30 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 The applicant would accept conditions of consent requiring the submission of a comprehensive construction management plan prior to works commencing on site. Such a condition would include compliance monitoring throughout the works period. For the reasons stated above it is considered that the proposed construction and earthworks required to build the proposed development will have adverse effects on the surrounding city centre environment and adjacent properties that are less than minor. 8.1.9 Cumulative Effects It is considered that there would be no significant cumulative adverse effects that arise from the proposed development and infringements to the AUP(OP). The proposed new building and hotel development is one that is expected in the Business - City Centre zone. The design of the new building is such that it is in general compliance with the development standards of the AUP(OP). The proposed infringements are considered to be small in scale and, as discussed above, the adverse effects arising from the infringements are considered to be less than minor in extent. The resulting construction effects are a direct consequence of development and while there is significant construction works occurring throughout the city including directly opposite the site, it is considered that this an expected effect experienced within the city centre zone. The implementation and monitoring of the comprehensive construction management plan will work to minimise the adverse amenity effects on adjacent residential buildings. For these reasons it is considered that any cumulative effects arising from the proposal would be temporary and limited to expected construction works. 8.1.10 Positive Effects The proposed development results in the following positive effects:      The proposed building will make efficient use of the entire site and building envelope available. The visual amenity of the streetscape and the pedestrian experience will be improved with the removal of the existing vehicle crossings and car parking which dominate the road boundary. The proposed hotel street frontage will fully activate the road boundary with the verandah providing shelter to pedestrians. The new hotel will contribute 191 new rooms to the city centre which is currently experiencing a significant shortfall in visitor accommodation. The new hotel will contribute positively to the local tourism and business economy. 31 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 8.1.11 Overall Conclusion Overall, and based on the above assessment, it is considered that subject to conditions of consent, the actual or potential adverse effects of the proposal on the environment will be less than minor. In addition, there will be considerable positive effects arising. 8.2 Relevant Provisions of a Plan or Proposed Plan 8.2.1 Objectives and Policies The relevant policies and objectives in relation to the proposed development are provided below. They include a variety of matters relating to the ability for the AUP (OP) and subsequent development to create and support a strong network of centres that are attractive environments that attract ongoing investment, promote commercial activity, provide employment, housing and goods and services. An assessment of the relevant objectives and policies has been undertaken in the context of the overall development proposal. H8. Business City Centre Zone The objectives and policies of the Business City Centre zone are set out in sections H8.2 and H8.3 of the AUP (OP). The objectives and policies are both general for all centre zones and specific to the City Centre zone. The main thrust of the City Centre zone objectives are to create an internationally significant centre for business that is an attractive place to live, learn and undertake the raft of economic and cultural activities found in a vibrant city. They also seek to manage development within the city centre to accommodate growth and the highest intensity development within Auckland and New Zealand while respecting the city’s natural topographical features of valleys, ridgelines and the waterfront setting on the Waitemata Harbour. The city centre should also be accessible by a range of transport modes that focus on public transport, walking and cycling. The proposed hotel building is the type of development and business expected within the City Centre zone. Visitor accommodation is a vital service for the city’s economic wellbeing that is currently in short supply in Auckland. The building itself has been designed to contribute positively to the city’s sense of place with an attractive façade and active street frontage that promotes pedestrian movement. The building’s height and bulk have been designed to comply with the maximum height restrictions protecting the volcanic viewshaft to Mt Eden as well as provide the required local and onsite amenity for visitors staying in the hotel and the general public who utilise the city centre. The policies set out in H8.3 seek to reinforce the function of the city centre while requiring development to be of a high quality and design that contributes to the planned outcomes of the AUP and the quality of streets and the pedestrian experience that caters for people of all ages. 32 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Policies also seek to ensure the long-term versatility of buildings in order to accommodate changes of use over time. Other policies specific to the City Centre zone require (among other things): - Provision for a wide range and diverse mix of activities that enhance the vitality, vibrancy and amenity of the city centre; Development to support public transport; The maximising of light and outlook around buildings; Building frontages are to provide a sense of intimacy, interest, variation and enclosure at street level. The proposed hotel fulfils these policy requirements by providing much needed visitor accommodation that will not only cater for existing visitor demand but also attract more people to the city centre who will contribute to the city’s vitality and vibrancy. These visitors will patronise other local businesses be they business or recreation tourists. The building itself has been designed to maximise light accessing the building as well as making the most of the north aspect over the road reserve and out towards the harbour. The building frontage and lower levels have been designed to provide an attractive and active frontage to the footpath and road boundary. The focus on the street frontage and pedestrian access is achieved primarily by providing a single internal vehicle access and rear courtyard that does not dominate the appearance of the building as viewed from the road. In addition, not providing any onsite parking directs visitors to utilise public transport, walking or private taxi services. Overall, it is considered that the proposed hotel design is of a high quality that achieves the planned outcomes for the City Centre zone as described in the objectives and policies of the AUP(OP). This is achieved through multiple features such as the building form, materials used, internal floor layout and the design of the ground floor street frontage. As thoroughly discussed in section 8.1.2, the additional floor area proposed over and above the bonus and maximum floor areas provided by the zone has not resulted in any discernible adverse effects to the building’s design and its interface with the streetscape, its relationship with the topography of the central city area or the infrastructure servicing the site. Policy H.3(35) requires the demolition of buildings and structures to avoid, remedy or mitigate significant adverse effects on the pedestrian amenity of the city centre and the safety and efficiency of the road network. As previously discussed in sections 5.6 and 8.1.1 above, the demolition of the existing buildings will be undertaken in a contained manner that avoids and minimises any potential adverse effects on the pedestrian amenity of Wellesley Street. 33 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Overall, it is considered that the proposed development has been designed to meet the requirements of the objectives and policies of the AUP(OP), particularly those of the City Centre zone. 8.2.2 Assessment Criteria The assessment above has deemed the proposal to result in less than minor effects on the environment and is also consistent with all the relevant policies and objectives of the AUP(OP). The relevant assessment criteria of the AUP (OP) largely refer back to the objectives and policies of the Business – City Centre zone and relevant Auckland Wide Rules, which are the same matters that have been discussed in the previous sections of this report. The proposal is therefore consistent with the relevant assessment criteria of the AUP(OP). A detailed assessment of specific assessment criteria related to proposed infringements to the AUP(OP) is provided in Appendix O. 8.3 Relevant Provisions of Other Statutory Documents The Auckland Regional Policy Statement (ARPS) provides a policy overview to guide the content of all district planning documents within the region. With regard to Chapter B2 - Tāhuhu whakaruruhau ā-taone - Urban growth and form, in the Regional Policy Statement, it is considered the proposed development addresses the following issues outlined in Chapter B2.1: Growth needs to be provided for in a way that does all of the following: (1) enhances the quality of life for individuals and communities; (2) supports integrated planning of land use, infrastructure and development; (3) optimises the efficient use of the existing urban area; (4) encourages the efficient use of existing social facilities and provides for new social facilities; (5) enables provision and use of infrastructure in a way that is efficient, effective and timely; (6) maintains and enhances the quality of the environment, both natural and built; The proposed hotel development meets all of these objectives primarily by making efficient use of the existing urban environment and the building envelope of the subject site itself. The proposed hotel will make use of existing infrastructure that has the capacity to accommodate the proposed use. The construction of the building will have temporary and less than minor adverse effects on the natural and built environment. 34 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Overall, the proposed new building and hotel development has been designed to meet the planned urban use and character of the Business – City Centre zone. The proposed infringements to permitted activity standards are considered to be relatively small in extent with any potential adverse effects avoided and/or minimised through design and practical construction management measures. For these reasons it is considered that the proposed development is consistent with the objectives and policies of the AUP(OP) and therefore the ARPS. 8.4 Any Other Matters Section 104(1)(c) requires Council to have regard to any other matter that it considers relevant and reasonably necessary to determine an application. In this instance there are no other matters to be considered. 9.0 Part 2 Matters All considerations under s104 are subject to Part 2 of the RMA, which sets out the purpose and principles of the legislation. When exercising powers and functions under the RMA consent authorities shall:    Section 6: recognise and provide for matters of national importance Section 7: have particular regard to a number of other matters Section 8: take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi/ Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Overall, it is considered that the application would not offend any of the matters contained within Part 2. The proposal would enable the applicant to develop the site in a manner that is provided for in the Auckland Unitary Plan while avoiding, remedying or mitigating any adverse effects on the environment. The proposal is considered an efficient use of land, and can demonstrably be developed in a manner that responds to existing site constraints without generating adverse effects on the environment or the amenity of the city centre zone. 10.0 Section 104D Threshold Test Section 104D of the RMA establishes a ‘threshold test’, this being an additional test that noncomplying activities must satisfy before they can be granted. This proposal requires resource consent as a non-complying activity as a result of the infringement of gross floor area provisions of the Business - City Centre zone of the AUP(OP). In order to pass the threshold test, a consent authority must be satisfied that the adverse effects of the activity on the environment will be minor or the activity will not be contrary to the objectives and policies of the Plan or proposed Plan. 35 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 It is considered that the threshold test is satisfied in this case as the assessment of environmental effects has demonstrated that the effects of the proposal on the environment in the context of the application site and the existing surrounding development would be less than minor, subject to the imposition of mitigating conditions of consent as referred to throughout this report. It is also considered that the proposal is consistent with the objectives and policies of the AUP (OP). Only one limb of the test needs to be met to allow a consent authority to grant an application for a non-complying activity. However in this instance, it is considered that both are satisfied. As a consequence, the Council can have confidence that it has the necessary jurisdiction to determine the application in accordance with the statutory considerations contained within s104D. 11.0 Notification Assessment The Council will need to determine the basis on which the application will be processed. The options available are public notification, limited notification, or non-notification. The Resource Legislation Amendment Act (2017) has introduced a number of changes to the question of notification. More specifically, sections 95A and 95B have been amended to introduce a new ‘step by step’ process that Council must follow when determining whether to publicly or limited notify an application. These steps are addressed below. On the basis of the following assessment, it is considered that the application should be processed on a non-notified basis without the need for any written approvals as, overall, it is considered that any actual or potential adverse effects that will arise from this proposal will be less than minor. 11.1 Public Notification (s95A) Section 95A now entails a number of steps that must be followed to determine whether an application should be publicly notified. Step 1 - Details requirements for mandatory public notification. None of these apply to the proposal and the applicant does not request public notification. Step 2 - Details situations where public notification is precluded (if not required under step 1). Section 95A(5)(b)(ii) precludes public notification if the activity is a restricted discretionary or discretionary activity but only if the activity is a subdivision of land or a residential activity. The application is a non-complying activity overall. Consequently, the requirement for this step is not met and public notification is not precluded under step 2 and step 3 must be assessed. 36 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 Step 3 – Public notification is required if a rule or NES requires public notification or the activity will have or is likely to have adverse effects on the environment that are more than minor. There is no rule in the Plan or a NES that requires public notification of this activity. As discussed in section 8 of this report any adverse effects would be less than minor. As such public notification is not required. Step 4 - Is the last step and relates to the consideration of special circumstances and whether these would warrant notification. It is considered that there are no special circumstances in this instance to suggest that public notification is appropriate. In the absence of any demonstrable adverse effects on either the environment or on any person, it would be difficult to sustain an argument for public notification on the basis of special circumstances. As a result of the above assessment, public notification of the proposal is not appropriate in accordance with section 95A of the RMA (as amended). 11.2 Limited Notification (s95B) As with the amendments to Section 95A, Section 95B also entails a number of steps that must be followed to determine whether an application should be subject to limited notification. Step 1 - Relates to the consideration of certain affected groups and affected persons customary rights, marine title and statutory acknowledgment. There are no such groups or persons who would be affected by the proposal. Step 2 - Details situations where limited notification is precluded (if not required under step 1). The application is not a controlled or prescribed activity and there is no rule or environmental standard that precludes limited notification. Step 3 - Outlines situations where affected persons must be notified if such notification is not precluded under step 2. For the reasons outlined in section 8, the assessment of effects, any potential effects on the adjacent properties identified below are considered to be less than minor. Land adjacent to the property is considered to comprise the following:       84 Wellesley Street West, All units in apartment block at 72 Wellesley Street West, All units in apartment block at 127-129 and 125A Hobson Street, All units in apartment block at 135 Hobson Street, 68 Nelson Street, 101 Hobson Street (Skycity Auckland Convention Centre currently under construction). 37 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 With respect to the proposed activity the written approval of the adjacent landowners has not been sought. Overall, the development is considered to be appropriate for the site such that the proposal will result in less than minor adverse effects on directly adjacent properties as more fully discussed in Section 8.0. The property most likely to be directly adversely affect by the proposed development, specifically during construction, is the apartment building at 125A Hobson Street. The effects experienced relating to noise and vibration are somewhat unavoidable given the proximity of the subject site to the apartments. Effects are considered to be less than minor due to the proposed minimisation and mitigation measures proposed during construction works and particularly due to the temporary nature of the effects. Once the piling and foundation work is complete the excessive noise will cease. No noise effects will be experienced in the long-term from the day to day running of the proposed hotel. It is therefore considered that there is no basis to serve any person with notice of this application under Section 95B (7). On this basis, it is considered that the actual or potential adverse effects to any third party would be less than minor and that there are no affected persons. Step 4 - Is the last step and relates to the consideration of special circumstances and whether these would warrant notification to persons not already determined to be eligible for limited notification. It is not considered that there are any special circumstances that would warrant this. As a result of the above, limited notification of the proposal is not considered appropriate in accordance with section 95B of the RMA (as amended). Overall, the development is considered to be appropriate for the site such that the proposal will result in less than minor effects upon any directly adjacent properties. It is therefore considered there is no basis to serve any person with notice of this application under section 95B (2). 38 Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited 9 July 2019 74 - 80 Wesllesley Street West 1404WEL18 12.0 Conclusion This resource consent application by Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited to construct a new hotel building at 74-80 Wellesley Street West, is considered to be appropriate for the site and Business - City Centre zone. The proposed development will make efficient use of the site and its building envelope to create a high quality modern building that contributes positively to the central city’s physical environment and sense of place. The hotel will provide much needed additional visitor accommodation without adversely affecting the amenity of the immediate location or the wider landscape character of the Auckland City central business district. The development will not require additional infrastructure to service it and it will not attract additional private vehicles to the city centre. Overall, the proposed development will create an active and attractive street frontage that prioritises pedestrian movement along this section of Wellesley Street. The foregoing assessment has determined that the actual or potential effects on the environment associated with the proposed development would be less than minor and the proposal is consistent with the relevant objectives and policies of the AUP(OP). It is considered that consent should be granted having regard to the matters set out in Section 104 of the RMA and in the context of Part 2 of the RMA. No persons are considered adversely affected by the proposal in respect of the matters addressed in this report. It is therefore concluded that the proposal satisfies all matters the consent authority is required to assess and that it can be granted on a non- notified basis subject to conditions. Report prepared by: Kate Morrissey Senior Planner Campbell Brown Planning Limited (For and on behalf of Hotel Grand Chancellor (Auckland) Limited). 39 Campbell Brown Planning Limited Level 1, 56 Brown Street, Ponsonby PO Box 147001, Auckland 1144 Ph 09 378 4936 info@campbellbrown.co.nz www.campbellbrown.co.nz