Zoning key issue for funeral home

The debate over the proposed funeral home at Patiti Point appears likely to come down to whether the Timaru District Council will allow a change of zoning.

Betts Funerals Services owner Dick Ireton has bought the 0.63ha site and proposes to build a "tribute centre", taking advantage of the Pacific outlook, as well as a cafe.

He has yet to lodge a resource consent application, at which stage the council will decide what happens next.

The land, in the north-west corner of Patiti Point, is not a reserve.

It is zoned Recreational 2 in the district plan and is allowed to be built on to a height of ten metres.

Mr Ireton bought the land from Pacific Ocean Views Ltd, who had already gained a non-notified consent for a twelve-allotment subdivision last year on which to build nine dwellings.

The land title shows the council sold the land to Caroline Abalone Ltd in 1996. Caroline Abalone also has the lease on an adjacent piece of council-owned land until April 30, 2016.

The proposed site of the funeral home has a rateable value of $47,000 but the Herald understands it changed hands for more than $1 million.

Mr Ireton's plans have met opposition from South Street residents who do not want a funeral home on the site.

History shows that they may, however, have their work cut out to stop it.

Wai-iti Properties faced vocal and well-funded opposition in 2004 when they applied to establish and operate a funeral home within a residential area on Mountainview Road.

Despite submitters raising concerns of a commercial activity in a high quality residential area and the emotive issues around death, the council's hearings committee granted a consent, subject to several conditions.

Opponents of the Patiti Point site have already raised several issues.

The site is registered with the New Zealand Archaeological Society after moa bones and a moa-hunter necklace reel were found beneath an oven in 1941.

The bones were found about eighty centimetres below the surface but an updated survey in 2000 noted that the site was not able to be found again as the area of the small valley has since been redeveloped — part as an industrial plant and part as a small grassy area beside the road.

While permission will be needed from the Historic Places Trust to develop the land, it is not likely to hinder development.

More likely is a further Historic Places Trust assessment and site visit to undertake a risk assessment.

Residents' concerns over stormwater flooding are also likely to be minimised.

Council drainage and water manager Grant Hall said there were some problems in the area. However, the council is working on an upgrade of the gardens gully catchment.

Mr Ireton said he did not want to comment until his plans were further formulated.

- © Fairfax NZ News