Rotundo development set to proceed, Titirangi Ratepayers and Residents Association withdraws appeal
14.06.10 The controversial Titirangi Ratepayers and Residents Association appeal to the Environment Court regarding the Rotundo development proposal in Titirangi has now been withdrawn by the Association.

The action brought criticism from local business in support of the proposals and prompted the resignation of four of the association's executive. Acting Secretary Mels Barton said:" It has been a sobering experience for us all, especially for me to realise that at the end of the day being right is irrelevant if the opposition has deeper pockets. So much for justice."

The Association's web site stated the development, proposed by the Rotondo family, is to be built on public land on the corner of Titirangi and South Titirangi Roads, opposite Lopdell House. It will replace the current carpark and public toilets.

The development is extremely large and will form a solid wall from the end of the existing shops, along to the corner and down South Titirangi Rd to the current carpark entrance. It will be 3 storeys high, 11m from the Titirangi Rd frontage, rising to 15m high on South Titirangi Rd.

It will comprise retail on the ground floor, offices on the 2nd floor and apartments on the 3rd floor. It will be covered with horizontal brown corrugated metal cladding.

The Titirangi Ratepayers and Residents Association has appealed the decision of the Council to grant consent for this development to the Environment Court. We feel that it is too large and urban in its nature for the Village, that it will dominate the landscape, compete with Lopdell House and set a precedent for future buildings of this scale to be permitted.

We seek that the scale and size of the building is reduced, not that it is removed altogether. We accept that some development will occur on this site.

There were also fears amongst the association's executive that the height of the development would set a precedent for future development and lead to the village centre becoming a concrete canyon.