Avoca Beach Picture Theatre redevelopment: Owners seek to modify plans
REVEALED: Documents submitted to Central Coast Council show the full scale of the Avoca Beach Picture Theatre redevelopment, as owners seek to modify the plans.See the plans here.
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DOCUMENTS submitted to Central Coast Council show the full scale of the Avoca Beach Picture Theatre redevelopment.
Artists impressions, from three different vantage points, show the approved part two-storey/three-storey building which will house four cinemas, foyer, terrace, cafe/gallery, deck, five residential units and basement carparking.
Modifications to the $7.2 million development, which was approved by the Land and Environment Court in 2017, have been lodged with the council and will come before next Monday’s meeting after receiving 54 objections.
Owners Norman and Beth Hunter are seeking changes to the DA including increasing the height of the roof ridge of Cinema 2 by 700mm, increases in the gross floor area of the residential units and changes to the carpark floor levels.
Ground floor changes include adding a backstage area to Cinema 1, relocation of Cinema 3 and internal redesign of the entry foyer area.
Other modifications seek to increase the usable area of the outdoor terrace and roof areas over the terrace.
The modified plans, recommended for approval by staff, were lodged in August 2018 and changed in September and October.
Objections relate to the potential view loss from the increase in roof height for Cinema 2, restricting solar access to neighbouring properties, negative impact on property values and an “overdevelopment” of the site.
The council report states the approved plans already exceeded the maximum building height of 10m, under the Gosford Local Environment Plan, and the proposed change would result in a maximum height of 11.5m to the roof of the Cinema 2.
The saga of the Picture Theatre redevelopment started in 2002 when the Hunters bought the $1.8 million block of land next to the existing theatre, and started the rezoning process.
The former Gosford City Council rejected the DA in 2015 due to impacts on the heritage character and qualities of the theatre.
When the Land and Environment Court handed down its decision to approve the development in 2017, Mr Hunter said the project was 11 years behind.
The court found the building not worthy of heritage listing and any parking shortfall would only be a problem on a handful of Sunday afternoons in summer.
The development has divided the Avoca community, with many saying it will exacerbate existing parking dramas while others have expressed support for the Hunters and the redevelopment to bring the theatre into the 21st century.
“Our proposal from the beginning has been to retain the theatre,” Mr Hunter told the Express in 2017.
“We’re expanding it to meet the modern business environment, but also the social environment.”
He said at the time that the building was pushing 70 years old and was coming to the end of its economic life.
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