24 Tirau Town Centre Zone
Table of Contents
24.1 Zone Statement
Tirau’s Town Centre Zone is intended to maintain Tirau’s main street as a high quality boutique retail centre, catering for both destination shopping and the needs of passing travellers. Some core commercial services are also provided to meet the needs of residents. The zone intends to retain the existing attributes of Tirau to ensure it remains a pleasant place for people to stop and wander from shop to shop.
These attributes are based on a streetscape consisting of mainly small single-storey shops (rather than nationwide corporate chains), a range of boutique retail stores presenting an attractive built form to the street, with space and scope for entertainment and street activities along the paved and grassed frontages of the main thoroughfare. The distinctive corrugated iron signage, the unusual buildings, and the quality of retail premises are important parts of the success of Tirau as a boutique retail centre. An attractive green streetscape is intended to be fostered, based upon retaining the existing trees such as the rhododendron bank on High Street, enhancing plantings and street furniture. Activities on the side streets such as Okoroire Street and Rose Street support and complement those on Tirau’s Main Street, with activities such as craftsperson’s studios and visitor accommodation.
The main street of Tirau is also State Highway 1 and performs a key role in the transportation network of the district and wider region. To recognise this, some specific provisions dealing with car parking and vehicle access have been formulated for the zone, to ensure that a vibrant town centre can successfully co-exist with the need to ensure a safe and efficient state highway through Tirau.
24.2 Anticipated Environmental Results
The Tirau Town Centre Zone is intended to achieve the following anticipated environmental results:
A ‘country village’ character, rather than a slice of ‘big city’
A bustling and vibrant place with no empty shops, and high pedestrian counts
Pleasant sunlit places for people to sit and enjoy
Residents within the zone are protected from traffic noise and noise from commercial neighbours
Adequate parking, with staff parking sited behind shops, and customer parking primarily located out front or in well-signposted and convenient public parking areas
Provision of pedestrian and cycle facilities, along with adequate access for people with disabilities
Re-development of commercial properties is achieved in a manner that is sympathetic in scale and design with the existing town centre, and that enhances the amenities of the village as a place to live and visit
Heritage buildings and historic features are retained and enhanced
Consistent use of theme, currently corrugated iron/cabbage trees, but scope for reinvention
On-going commercial development is enabled in a manner that avoids significant impact on the safety and efficiency of State Highway 1 as a through-route.
The Tirau Town Centre Zone is a method to implement the objectives and policies contained within Chapter 4 (Objectives and Policies for the District’s Towns).
24.3 Activities
24.3.1 Permitted Activities
The following are permitted activities in the Tirau Town Centre Zone provided they comply with the Performance Standards set out in Rule 24.4 below.
b)
Restaurants, bars and cafes
d)
Residential accommodation above ground floor level
e)
Offices above ground floor level
g)
Education and child care facilities
i)
Recreation and sporting activities on parks and reserves
j)
Modifications, alterations and additions to an existing service station on the same site
k)
Modifications, alterations and additions to an existing dwelling on the same site
l)
Modifications to a Built Heritage Feature identified as permitted in the relevant Heritage Inventory Record form in
Appendix Bm)
Minor works on a built heritage feature listed in
Appendix Bn)
Any change of activity otherwise permitted on the site which is unrelated to the purpose for which the built heritage feature was scheduled and which does not detract from the values for which it was scheduled.
24.3.2 Controlled Activities
The following are controlled activities in the Tirau Town Centre Zone provided they comply with the Performance Standards set out in Rule 24.4 below:
a)
Modifications to a Built Heritage Feature identified as controlled in the relevant Heritage Inventory Record form in
Appendix B.
b)
Internal alterations on buildings with identified interiors in
Appendix B: Built Heritage Inventory, necessary for the primary purpose of improving structural performance, fire safety or physical access.
c)
External alterations to buildings identified in
Appendix B: Built Heritage Inventory, necessary for the primary purpose of improving structural performance, fire safety or physical access.
The specific matters where control is reserved are identified in Rules 8.3.1d) and 8.3.1 i) and shall be used when considering a resource consent application for a controlled activity in the Tirau Town Centre Zone.
24.3.3 Restricted Discretionary Activities
The following are restricted discretionary activities in the Tirau Town Centre Zone:
a)
Any activity listed in Rule 24.3.1 (Permitted Activities) or Rule 24.3.2 (Controlled Activities) that does not conform to the Performance Standards in Rule 24.4
b)
Construction or re-construction of buildings that involves an exterior wall facing toward a street boundary.
The specific matters where discretion is reserved are identified in Rules 8.3.3 and 8.3.4 and shall be used when considering a resource consent application for a restricted discretionary activity in the Tirau Town Centre Zone.
24.3.4 Discretionary Activities
Activities that are not permitted, controlled, restricted discretionary or non-complying will be discretionary activities in the Tirau Town Centre Zone.
The following are also discretionary activities in the Zone:
a)
Offices at ground floor level
e)
Service stations including motor vehicle repair
f)
Modifications to a Built Heritage Feature identified as discretionary in the relevant Heritage Inventory Record form in
Appendix B excluding alterations necessary for the primary purpose of improving structural performance, fire safety or physical access.
The assessment criteria contained in Rule 8.4 shall be used when considering a resource consent application for a discretionary activity in the Tirau Town Centre Zone, with the Performance Standards in Rule 24.4 used as a guide for assessment purposes.
24.3.5 Non-Complying Activities
The following are non-complying activities in the Tirau Town Centre Zone:
b)
Modifications to a Built Heritage Feature identified as non-complying in the relevant Heritage Inventory Record form in
Appendix Bd)
Modifications to, or demolition of, a Built Heritage Feature identified as non-complying in the relevant Heritage Inventory Form in
Appendix B.
The objectives and policies contained within Chapters 3, 4, 6 and 7 shall be used when considering a resource consent application for a non-complying activity in the Tirau Town Centre Zone, with the Performance Standards in Rule 24.4 used as a guide for assessment purposes.
24.4 Performance Standards
The following Performance Standards apply to all activities specified in Rule 24.3.1 (Permitted Activities) or Rule 24.3.2 (Controlled Activities), and to restricted discretionary activities in the zone if granted. Failure to comply with one or more of the performance standards results in that activity being a restricted discretionary activity.
24.4.1 Scale of Retailing
Each retail shop, restaurant, bar, cafe or place of assembly shall not exceed a gross floor area of 150 square metres.
24.4.2 Height
Maximum Building Height - 8 metres.
24.4.3 Site Coverage
The maximum extent that buildings can cover a site is 75%.
24.4.4 Signage
a)
No sign shall exceed 3m2 in area. There is no limit on the number of signs per site
b)
The sign must advertise the name of a business located on the property or otherwise relate to activities located on the property
c)
Signs shall not detrimentally affect traffic safety by creating a visual obstruction or by causing confusion to motorists.
i)
A sign must not mimic the design, wording, graphics, shape or colour of an official traffic sign
ii).
A sign may not prevent the driver of a vehicle from having a clear and unobstructed view of official traffic signs or signals, approaching or merging traffic or any corner, bend, intersection or vehicle crossing.
d)
In a speed environment of 70km/h and over, a sign must not incorporate reflective materials, flashing illumination, aerial display, animated display, moving display or any other non-static two or three dimensional mechanism designed to catch attention.
e)
The owner of a sign shall be responsible for ensuring that it is well maintained.
f)
Signage on the Built Heritage Features listed in the inventory in Appendix B and on the sites where those features are located shall comply with Rule B1 of
Appendix B: Built Heritage Inventory.
ADVISORY NOTE: This plan does not restrict sandwich board signs on footpaths, which are subject to Council’s Public Places Bylaw.
24.4.5 Verandah Provision
All buildings that had a verandah over any part of the legal road on 7 November 2012 shall continue to provide at least equivalent pedestrian shelter. Any redevelopment of the site, including new buildings, shall provide verandahs at least as extensive as existed on that date.
24.4.6 Noise, Vibration and Glare
a)
Noise, vibration and glare from any activity in the Zone shall comply with the rules in
Chapter 15b)
Visitors’ accommodation or Residential accommodation at first floor level – The total internal noise level in any habitable room shall not exceed 35dB LAeq(24 hours) while at the same time complying with the ventilation requirements of Clause G4 of the NZ Building Code. The total noise level shall include all intrusive noise and mechanical services.
In determining the external noise level, an assumption that the noise incident upon the noise-sensitive facade is from at least three separate activities simultaneously generating the maximum allowable noise level for that zone.
Compliance with the above must be confirmed in writing by a suitably qualified and experienced acoustic consultant.
24.4.7 Parking
Provision of on-site car parking, loading spaces and vehicular access shall be in accordance with Chapter 11 Parking, Loading and Access.
24.4.8 Hazardous Substances
Storage or use of hazardous substances shall comply with Appendix G (Hazardous Substances).
24.4.9 Dust and Silt Control
a)
There shall be no dust nuisance beyond the boundary of the site from which the dust is sourced. A dust nuisance will occur if there is visible evidence of suspended solids in the air beyond the boundary of the site; and/or there is visible evidence of suspended solids traceable from a dust source settling on the ground, building or structure on a neighbouring site or water.
b)
All silt shall be contained within the site it is sourced, and any stockpiles of loose material shall be contained or maintained in such a manner to prevent dispersal of material into the air.
ADVISORY NOTE: Council’s Code of Practice for Subdivision and Development also contains standards for building projects that involve earthworks.
24.4.10 Screening
A close-boarded fence at least 1.8m in height shall be provided along the full length of any boundary with a property within the Tirau Residential Zone.
24.4.11 Scale of Activity and Access
a)
No new direct vehicle accesses onto the state highway shall be created
b)
Activities accessing a state highway shall not result in an increase in traffic that exceeds 100 vehicle movements in any given peak hour
c)
Activities accessing a local road shall not result in an increase in traffic that exceeds 200 vehicle movements in any given peak hour
24.5 Other Rules
The following chapters may also be relevant:
Chapter 10 (Subdivision) in respect of the subdivision of land
Chapter 12 (Temporary Activities) in respect of events, temporary structures and temporary signage
Chapter 13 (Network Utilities and Infrastructure) in respect of construction and maintenance of network utility structures.