Dental growth knockback

Plans to expand an Otumoetai dentists’ practice are not supported by Tauranga City Council planning staff.
The recommendation to the city council hearings committee at the consent hearing on Friday is that council decline consent to expand the full time staff permitted to work at Thomas House at 344 Otumoetai Road.
The building is currently permitted 10 full time employees and wants to expand to 24.

The practice was established in 2005 as a discretionary activity under planning rules that have since been tightened.
The proposal more than doubles the current permitted maximum and is 20 more than the four full time staff permitted for businesses in residential areas under the Tauranga District Plan.
Council planning staff say the extra fulltime staff in the dental practice, or using the currently vacant office space in the building will bring increased traffic that will adversely affect the neighbours – particularly the four residences that share the right of way access from Otumoetai Road.
The planners also believe that ramping up occupancy to the desired level will also result in increasing numbers of cars being parked in the street. Their numbers are a maximum of 9-10 staff. This avoids on street parking.
Neighbours have told planning staff there is already some on street parking with the current level of activity.
The dentists occupy 180m2 of the 390m2 commercial building. The remaining 110m2 is vacant.
The current level of business is a discretionary activity because the right of way is not wide enough, the boundary fence is too low and a 2m wide road frontage landscaping strip is absent.
The city council’s plan change 48, which is being appealed removes the office and health care centre from the list of permitted activities – and requires consent as a non complying activity.