The Proposal

The proposal is to redevelop the existing ‘pink church’ building and site for the ‘Good George’ restaurant and craft beer hall with attached garden bar.

The proposal will include the following activities:

• alterations to the internal layout of the building (445m2) and the front facade of the building along Victoria Street;
• painting of the building;
• the removal of car parking on the northern portion of the site to provide an outdoor bar area (180m2);
• the closing of the northern vehicle access to the site from Victoria Streetwith pedestrian access into the garden only;
•  the creation of angle parking along Victoria Street; and
• anticipating 150 in garden bar 100 in mezzanine and 150 down stairs. So worst case 400 all up
• It is noted no brewing will occur onsite.
• The proposal will retain the existing easement along the southern boundary of the site which currently provides access for the site and the adjoining property (BP).
• Ten cycle stands are included within the development, as well as an additional area set aside for cycle parking and a second area set aside for motorcycle parking. These facilities will be accessed from Whitaker Street.
• The sign will:
  • (a)  Provide a clear message;
  • (b)  Use well defined graphics and colours; and
  • (c)  The existing location and size on the building will be the same.
• Roof is colour steel product called “slate”
• Body of building is “soapstone” and “soft pink”. Both from the Resene Heritage Collection.
• In total there will 25-30 staff (a lot of part timers) so 15 FTE across 6 or 7 days may not open initially on Mondays.

Each service shift will have approx:

• 12-2pm lunch 5 -7 employees
• 5-9pm dinner 9-12 employees
• Outside of these hours it will be down to 3-5 employees as Food will be snack food only. No breakfasts.

Cambridge Historical Societyhas been consulted during the process so far and their input on colour and design have been taken into account.

Although the bar will have no actual brewing on site it will be host to a tank system which will be topped up fresh from the brewery each week.

It will also include a restaurant area, upstairs bar and function space and a garden bar facing north towards Lake Te Koutu.

The site currently has vehicle access from both Victoria Street and Whitaker Street. Pedestrian and cycle access is also possible from both of these frontages; 12 parking spaces were provided.

The primary vehicle access will be via Whitaker Street, although a shared vehicle crossing and right of way (with an adjacent BP service station) along the site’s southern boundary, is to be retained.

Background

Timeline of the “The Country Store” Building:

1877: “An elegant little structure with ornamental spire” erected in Victoria Street, according to The Waikato Times of the day.

1898: A new church is built by J Lye & Sons, and designed by E Bartley, for £813. It replaces the previous building, which is now too small.

1981: The church is vacated, and deconsecrated. The building is bought by a developer and is leased by three Wellington entrepreneurs.

1985: Gordon and Barbara Campbell buy the building.

1986: Full renovation of the building, the ground floor hosts Craft New Zealand. Cambridge resident Joy Thomas was hired. The mezzanine was added.

1987: The Campbells win a national award for the best tourist facility in the country.

1992: Graeme and Moira Crera buy the business with Richard and Jan Seabrook. They rename it The Cambridge Country Store, which wins a New Zealand Tourism Award for best retail business.

1997: The business is sold to David and Loma Odlam, and Sheryl Glover is appointed manager.

2002: The Campbells sell the building to an accountant in New Plymouth. The Cambridge Country Store carries on as usual.

2015: The Cambridge Country store closes after pressures from online retail, ending a long stint at the store for Joy Thomas who was there the day it opened and the day it closed.

2015: The Pink Church is put up for sale by Grasslands Lane, a family trust which had owed it for about five years.

Council is proposing for a new roundabout to the north and public carpark to the north-east of the application site.

Hamilton road / Victoria street:

• Building a roundabout.
• Improving existing pedestrian safety and links to existing pathways.
• Improved parking along Victoria Street.
• Centre Island on Victoria Street.

Widening the slip lane behind the BP and the Pink Church to two lanes to service Lakewood (Three hectares of bare land overlooking Lake Te Ko Utu is being developed into residential apartments, retail spaces, a medical centre, office spaces, cafes and restaurants.

Architectural Design Statement:

Background

The ‘Pink Church’ at 98 Victoria Street is to undergo redevelopment to a restaurant and craft beer hall with attached garden bar.

The overarching design intention is the leave the church facade & interior in as much of its original design state as possible with the one exception of the Victoria Street entry facade that has been rather unsympathetically altered by previous owners.

Design Intension

The buildings greatest assets are the elegant proportions of its form and the graceful patina of age that has rendered the building a comfortable disposition suited perfectly to a place of meeting and conversation. The intention is to retain these positives by doing as little as possible to the existing building, but enhancing the original Narthex (anti room) by remodelling the old entrance facade closer to the original.

The proposed new main building entrance will be the existing North side Transept entrance set up to allow comfortable and accessible compliant entry. The existing Narthex will become a dead end destination area likely used as a lounge area of the bar.

There is no change proposed to the entry door or facade between the two large aluminium windows, however those windows are proposed to be dispensed with and replaced with either single or pairs of lancet windows in matching Gothic style with matching timber weatherboard infill.

The old photographs show mid height windows, but we’d like to use a taller lancet window replacement that would start likely around 400mm above floor level to maintain the visual connection between interior and street. The proposed windows would be timber construction to match the original complete with hood mouldings, facings & decoration in keeping with the historical photographs.

There will be interior levelling and re-piling required, and interior lining around the new windows (likely painted Ply Groove and batten), but apart from that, a paint job is all the exterior will need for a new lease of life.

The removal and replacement of all the aluminium windows will bring the church back closer to the feel of its early nineteenth century heyday, and it is very much hoped to again fill the church to capacity, this time however, a meeting place with a rather less pious crowd.

The proposal is for a raised timber decked garden bar with a system of columns and pergola beams that will allow for the installation of shade structure and lighting.