Controversy over futuristic-looking Mona Vale surf club plan
FLASH new designs for a northern beaches surf club have drawn criticism — and it’s centred around beach parking.
Manly
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SURFRIDER Northern Beaches has criticised a council plan to put a restaurant above Mona Vale surf club, arguing there would not be appropriate parking.
The group’s president, Brendan Donohoe, who recently led the successful charge against a new cafe at North Narrabeen rock pool, said the council needed to focus on coastal protection rather than development.
He said the council needed to put in the appropriate infrastructure for beach parking as part of the surf club’s upgrade if it wanted to commercialise surf clubs.
“If every surf club is able to have a restaurant we need multistorey carparks at the beach, which I am sure people don’t want,” Mr Donohoe said.
Artist impressions of the club’s design — out for community feedback until June 4 — were released earlier this month and show spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows across three separate sections of the building.
Mona Vale Surf Lifesaving Club president Bryce Munro said the vast majority of locals were thrilled with the concept plans. He said the Narrabeen Boardriders Club had been consulted at every step and would have its own space in the new venue.
“The council needs to fund the project, people have this belief that councils and governments have this endless bucket of money and can do whatever they want,” he said. “The club and locals are extremely excited about a new building, the existing one, to say the least, is awful.”
He agreed parking could be an issue, particularly on Sunday mornings, but argued that was common across most of Sydney.
“Really, during the week and Saturdays and most Sunday afternoons parking is not that difficult,” he said.
“Most of the time Mona Vale is one of the good beaches. It probably has the best parking facilities.”
But Mr Donohoe said it was too much and not needed. “To me it becomes a destination restaurant,” he said.
“This will be potentially drawing people from out of area on to our already crowded roads.”
He said it would make parking even worse for surfers and lifesavers.
“The issue for surfers is real now, particularly with the universal beach parking sticker system,” Mr Donohoe said. “The carparks that were allocated for beach use are being more and more eroded for other use.”
Acting infrastructure general manager Todd Dickinson said the council had been working with Mona Vale SLSC, local beach users including board riders and residents for the past year.
“The size of the proposed building has been developed to meet the needs of the club and local community,” he said.
“The building’s footprint is only slightly larger than the existing building and there is no underground carpark included in the concept.
“The cafe currently operating at the site helps to subsidise the cost of running the surf club. Likewise, the rental from the proposed restaurant will help fund the building’s construction.”
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