Woolworths NZ’s closing submission regarding a contentious resource consent application has now been submitted, and a decision is likely to be made within the next three weeks.
The application to develop an accessway to the Greytown FreshChoice supermarket was the subject of a two-day public hearing at the beginning of the month.
At these proceedings, community members who submitted against the proposal spoke on aspects of heritage and safety they believe will be compromised if the application is granted.
In its final submission Woolworths NZ has stated that, while it maintains the view the application as lodged is appropriate, it has included amended conditions to traffic management.
In the revised conditions, it is proposed that all right turn movements from SH2 into the accessway be restricted when previously customer and light delivery vehicles were to be permitted to make a right turn.
An alternative angled crossing design was submitted to facilitate these changes, with a new ‘no right turn’ sign proposed to face incoming southbound traffic.
The amended conditions also seek to separate the combined ‘supermarket and post shop’ sign at the intersection of Main and Hastwell streets to better direct drivers heading south to turn at Hastwell St for supermarket access.
Woolworths NZ traffic expert Leo Hills considers that the three above elements would ensure the majority of drivers would use the access as intended and doesn’t believe a solid median barrier in the traffic lane is necessary.
“A solid median creates a new physical obstruction that could cause new conflicts with vehicles and create u-turning issues and therefore a safety issue,” Hills wrote.
“I also note that any physical median or alternative ‘hit-sticks’ would create additional issues due to the limited road width and road camber.”
Other matters addressed in the closing submission include such submitter concerns as the retention of the copper beech tree, Greytown’s heritage values, stormwater, and noise.
A spokesperson for South Wairarapa District Council said an update from the independent commissioner assessing the application, Lindsay Daysh, is expected in the next few days if he is satisfied with the evidence.
After a formal closing, Daysh will have 15 working days to make a decision.
