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Proposed location of the sun shelter.
A gift of a sun shelter to the Snells Beach community has erupted into a bitter row, with a group of residents continuing to voice strong opposition to it.
Kawau Bay Fishing Club proposed to build the modest shelter – comprising a table, some seating and a roof – after an earlier plan of building clubrooms fell through.
Club members undertook fundraising for the clubrooms in the late 1990s, but escalating building costs and the financial strain of maintaining the rooms meant they never eventuated.
Instead, the club decided to “give back to the community” by using money raised to build a sun shelter at Sunburst Reserve.
Over the next four years, the club secured more than 280 signatures in support of the project, plus landowner approval from Auckland Council.
Last month, the club voted in favour of proceeding with construction of the shelter.
But the move has infuriated about 30 residents living in nearby Sunburst Avenue, Kahurangi Place and Tamatea Drive who emphatically say they don’t want it.
In a letter to the club, the objectors complain the shelter is likely to attract unwanted illegal night-time activities, including the consumption of alcohol and drugs and vandalism.
Resident Chas Benest, who was among the signatories of the letter, said he could imagine lying awake in bed at 1am.
“You hear music, you hear laughter. Then there’s an argument. First two people arguing, then four people arguing. Then there’s a fight and glass getting broken. Then there are cars screeching off up the street,” he said.
Another objector complained the shelter would be an eyesore designed for an Australian bush setting, not a beach setting surrounded by multi-million dollar homes.
Objectors were further dismayed after approaching an 18-year-old woman who declined to join the protest against the shelter. She said: “We love gazebos, make sure it has ashtrays.”
The objectors additionally complain that the reserve will interfere with the rigging of kites for kite surfers and will restrict vehicle access to the reserve in an emergency.
Objectors are frustrated with the Rodney Local Board, saying 12 submissions opposing the proposed structure and its siting were sent to the Board around March and April 2018.
Objectors say they were assured there would be further consultation with affected parties but no such consultation took place.
Kawau Bay Fishing Club secretary Gael Knight said the club “struggles with the validity” of objectors’ concerns.
She said Council does not believe a shelter would attract illegal night-time activities, and there was already a liquor ban in the area from 9pm onwards.
“There is no way to prevent illegal night-time activity, either here or anywhere else along the beach.
That is why we have police,” she said.
Ms Knight added the design of the shelter was “not unattractive” and denied that it would restrict vehicle access and kite flying.
“We are genuinely sad that this small group of people doesn’t like the idea of the shelter, but we don’t believe that the rest of the community should miss out because of this,” she said.
She said several community organisations had volunteered to supply materials for the shelter and it was hoped construction could begin before winter sets in.
Local Board chair Phelan Pirrie said the Board endorsed the club’s landowner approval application to build the shelter after a presentation in 2018.
Mr Pirrie did not respond when asked if he felt the community had been adequately consulted on the shelter.
