Ettalong Beach booming as shop top housing takes over Ocean View Rd
Is this the most intensively developed street on the coast? Ocean View Rd could soon be unrecognisable with a growing list of DAs either approved, under assessment or being built.
Central Coast
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The once sleepy hamlet of Ettalong Beach is undergoing a construction boom as multimillion dollar shop top housing proposals take over Ocean View Rd.
Here’s the latest:
324 OCEAN VIEW RD
Plans have recently been lodged for the demolition of an existing house at 324 Ocean View Rd to make way for a three-storey, thee-unit building, complete with roof top terrace and private plunge pool.
The ground floor retail area would feature a wheelchair-friendly ramp past a large curved brick facade that leads to access on Ocean View Rd and garages off Schnapper Rd.
The proposal provides five off-street parking spaces, a shortfall of two spaces under the site’s zoning and has a height of 9.35m — well above the maximum 8.5m allowed under current zoning laws.
However the proponent argues the mixed use development would provide a “positive contribution to the streetscape of and the town centre that is currently in a stagnant stage of growth”.
“The mixed use building design would not result in any adverse environmental, amenity, social or economic impacts to the site and surrounding area,” the development application (DA) states.
“The proposal entails increase in development density that is commensurate with the locality and the land use zoning.”
The development remains with council for determination at this stage.
302-306 OCEAN VIEW RD
After 20 years of neglect and a two-year planning battle, the proponents behind a $5.4 million shop top housing development at 302-306 Ocean View Rd hope to begin construction by the middle of the year.
The three-storey development by Peter Sterliou’s KHMS Corp Pty Ltd was initially knocked back by council but eventually approved in the Land an Environment Court on November 29 following mediation and a series of negotiated concessions.
The development will see retail shops built at ground level, three serviced apartments, a further nine shop top units, undercroft parking for 23 cars and a roof top terrace featuring a private pool.
273-275 OCEAN VIEW RD
A five storey shop top housing development for the corner of Memorial Ave and Ocean View Rd — diagonally opposite the Mantra Resort — is expected to go before the Local Planning Panel within the next few months.
Baruhoy Investment Pty Limited is proposing to demolish the current building at the site to make way for basement parking for 36 vehicles, a retail ground floor, 23 residential units and a roof top terrace.
The applicant has asked council for exemptions to both the floor space ratio and height, which do not comply with the site’s zoning rules, with the height variation to cater for the lift overrun.
The plans state that the non compliance issues are justified due to the “design merit and key location of the proposed development”, and “the imperative to lift the design standard of what has traditionally been seen as the ‘centre’ of the Ettalong Beach village centre”.
237-245 OCEAN VIEW RD
Plans for a shop top development originally approved four years ago underwent yet another facelift before construction began last year.
Abrotat Pty Limited submitted amended plans to Central Coast Council in March for its redevelopment of 237–245 Ocean View Rd where demolition works had already been completed.
The initial plans, approved in 2018, included a five storey apartment block with 51 apartments, six retail premises on the ground floor along with basement carparking.
The latest amendment last year followed minor changes in 2019 and 2021.
While the main aspects of the development remain, the changes result in a “modern looking development” along with the addition of a few extras such as an electronic vehicle charging station and upgraded pool design.
227-233 OCEAN VIEW RD
A $9.5 million shop top housing application for a six-storey building was refused by the Central Coast Local Planning Panel back in February 2021 because it exceeded the number of storeys and was 2m over the maximum height limit for the site’s zoning.
The plans included basement and ground level parking for 37 cars, ground floor commercial premises, along with five levels of residential units (24 in total) which attracted more than 60 objections to its height and being “out of character” with the area.
Central Coast Council initially supported the DA, which was rejected by the panel but was resubmitted by the applicant Jedaclew Pty Ltd with new information.
The panel had a change of heart and later approved the development in August last year.
Construction is expected to begin some time this year.
167-171 OCEAN VIEW RD
Down the road at 167-171 Ocean View Rd new plans have been lodged to build four townhouses over two storeys.
The site is currently vacant after approval was granted last year to demolish the two existing homes.
The $1.65 million plans remain with council for assessment.
THE ESPLANADE
Meanwhile the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce is optimistic about a planning proposal to lift the maximum height for the old Ettalong Beach Motel and other properties located from number 43 to 46 The Esplanade from 11.5m, or about three storeys, to 17m or about five storeys.
It also seeks to increase the floor-space-ratio (FSR) of 1:1 to 1.75:1.
The proposal seeks to amend the Gosford Local Environmental Plan (LEP), which was adopted in 2014 and saw the seven affected lots effectively cut out of the same planning controls in place for Ettalong’s CBD.
They were capped originally under the Gosford LEP to limit overshadowing of the beach and to preserve water views from other B2 zoned land.
However Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Matthew Wales said those controls were redundant given the approval of the seven-storey Atlantis development next door, and the five-storey Ettalong Hotel behind.
The planning proposal has been endorsed by council and is now with the state government to be ratified.
Lifting the building height would pave the way for a mixed use, shop top housing development, for about 44 units.
“All these developments build on the need to revitalise the Ettalong Beach town centre and provide high quality apartment accommodation and much needed new retail floor space,” Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Matthew Wales said.
“Urban consolidation encourages people to use the lift instead of the car. We want people to live in town as a way to support local businesses and grow local jobs and take the pressure of the local road infrastructure.
“The Chamber is pleased to see a strong increase in investment and development activity which is a direct result of years of advocacy by the business community.
“What is now important is for Council to remain proactive and ensure that current and future development applications are processed quickly so that redevelopment and local investment are not delayed.”
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