Rodney District Council is inviting the public to make submissions on a proposal to rezone 240 hectares which will allow Orewa to expand to the Metropolitan Urban Limits.
A new special zone is proposed in Orewa West which would allow up to 2,800 new houses to be developed over time. Along with the Silverdale North, the land is one of only two large greenfield sites identified as being suitable for development on the Hibiscus Coast.
The proposal to permit residential development in Orewa West is not a new concept. The area was identified for residential development in the Orewa West Structure Plan, which was adopted by the Council in 2001. Changes to the District Plan were initially put on hold while work on rezoning Silverdale North was progressed, but work on preparing the Orewa West District Plan Variation is now at a stage where it can be notified for public submissions.
The new zone will cover the majority of the Orewa West area and will be bounded by the Orewa Estuary to the south; the western portion of the land between Sunnyheights Road and the Nukumea Stream to the north; the Northern Motorway to the west; and the established Orewa urban area to the east.
The Orewa West area is adjacent to existing residential housing in Orewa and provides easy access to the Northern Motorway.
The houses inside the new special zone will be within a Garden Residential Policy area. There will be a variety of different section sizes but most sites will be larger than 650m2 to create a “garden” feel.
Part of the new area west of Maire Road is proposed to be zoned as Medium Intensity Residential. This forms a relatively small part of the area and is adjacent to Orewa Primary School. This land has already been subdivided into smaller lots.
Connecting roads and walkways have been included inside the new development as well as new reserves. An important part of the road network is a new link across the Orewa Estuary to Silverdale North and the bridge for this has already been constructed.
An area is identified for local shops within the development in the southern part of the area to be rezoned which will complement the existing retail area on Grand Drive.
Developers will have to submit development concept plans to the Council before the area could be developed, showing how they will meet the ‘garden residential’ character of the policy area, and meet the requirements set out in new design guidelines for the Zone.
Residents have until 23 July 2010 to make submissions on the proposal. Details of the Variation can be found online at www.rodney.govt.nz.