401, 402 & 403 High Street - LUC-2017-418 - establish a community support activity

Resource consent is sought for the re-establishment of residential activity on the ground floor of the existing building at 402 High Street, and to construct and operate a new building for community support activity at the rear of 403 High Street. The three subject sites are owned by Downie Stewart Foundation which is a charitable trust established in 1987, and runs the Moana House programme from all three sites.

The current training, workshop and social services operating from the lower floor of the building on 402 High Street are to be transferred to a new building constructed at the rear of 403 High Street. The building will have three storeys. The ground floor will contain garaging and storage. The first floor will be used for the administration of Moana House, staff room and toilets, and a large multi-purpose room. The sloping ground will give this level direct access to the courtyard of 401 High Street. The upper floor will be four counselling rooms and a sitting area. The building will serve as a venue for all training and workshops for residents and non-residents. A community support activity is an unrestricted discretionary activity pursuant to Rule 8.7.5(i).

The construction of the new building will involve earthworks which breach District Plan thresholds for change in ground level and volume. The subject site is also considered to be a HAIL site under the Resource Management (National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil to Protect Human Health) Regulations 2011 (NES). The earthworks are considered to be a restricted discretionary activity pursuant to Rule 17.7.5(ii) of the District Plan. The disturbance of soils of a HAIL site is considered to be a discretionary activity pursuant to Regulation 11 of the NES.

Following the construction of the new building, the existing facilities at 402 High Street are to be converted back to a residential flat. This will result in two flats on this site, which breaches the density rules of the District Plan and is a non-complying activity pursuant to Rule 8.7.6(iii) of the District Plan.

The subject sites are zoned Residential 1 in the District Plan, and all three are within TH14 – High Street Heritage Precinct. The house of 402 High Street is a listed structure B324.

The proposal is assessed as a non-complying activity under the Dunedin City District Plan.

The Proposed Plan was notified on 26 September 2015.  In this instance, there are no relevant Proposed Plan rules to consider.