Boronia House: beer garden rumours run rife through Mosman ahead of council decision

A Mosman pub owner has hit back at a noisy ‘minority’ opposing plans for a neighbouring beer garden, telling them the ‘sky isn’t going to fall in’ from a few people drinking alfresco.

A Mosman pub owner has responded to community concern that a redevelopment of one of Sydney’s most lavish wedding venues could turn the site into a noisy beer garden.

Mosman Council’s planning panel has recommended giving the green light to the council’s $337,700 plan to add new outdoor decking to the 135-year-old State Heritage listed Boronia House building in Mosman following mixed feedback from residents.

The works would involve adding 88 outdoor seats that would cater up to 110 people, trading from 10am to midnight.

Boronia House is one of Mosman’s most historic buildings.

The council said the proposal was aimed at creating a “sustainable future for the property” after Mosman Catering, which hosted weddings, high teas and functions at the site, pulled out of its long term lease with the council on the basis the business was “no longer viable” in a climate of Covid.

A bulk of submissions relating to the development plan came from the ritzy Bridlewood Gardens apartment complex to the north of the site with many neighbours fearing the proposal could turn Boronia House into a “beer garden” and lead to excessive noise and unruly behaviour in the neighbourhood.

Fuelling speculation were planning documents which stated the decking could be used by Hotel Mosman – located to the south of Boronia House – and a pamphlet circulated by Mosman councillor Simon Menzies that included images of schooners and the wording: “Sign the petition: Support council DA for a ‘boutique beer garden’ at Boronia House.

A photo of the petition.

Hotel Mosman owner Brendon Barry said the venue would consider taking on the Boronia House lease should the council open it to tender, but said it would not become a beer garden extension of the pub.

“Boronia House has been running for decades as a function and wedding venue and from what I understand with Covid there’s been a big demand for alfresco so the council’s said ‘lets put in a deck and give it to a new operator’,” he said.

“Once it’s approved it would be put out to tender, and we’d look at the tender and consider it.

Hotel Mosman publican Brendon Barry.

Boronia House has been known for hosting high tea and weddings.

“There’s all these rumours going around that it would become a beer garden as if that’s the worst thing in the world

“It’s being drummed up by a small minority and people hear ‘beer garden’ and immediately think there’s going to be live bands and fornication. It’s a beat up.

“If a new operator takes it on and there’s a few people outside eating or drinking a glass of wine, I don’t think the sky’s going to fall in.”

Council Simon Menzies said he has now withdrawn the petition – not because of the beer garden reference – but due to a technical glitch on his website that involved a mix-up with signatures from people signing the anti-Woolworths Mosman development petition.

A Mosman Council spokeswoman said the most likely user would be a future lessee of Boronia and “any use by Hotel Mosman would be as a result of a successful tender by the hotel.”

The view of Boronia House looking towards Hotel Mosman.

A report by the panel noted other concerns by residents including concerns the proposal could “diminish the existing heritage aesthetics” of Boronia House.

Some residents of Bridlewood Gardens meanwhile lodged freedom of information requests to the council seeking access to email correspondence between Hotel Mosman and council staff relating to the plans.

Others said the plans could exacerbate “years of problems suffered by residents” in the area which has included alleged “anti-social behaviour, drunks, fights, underage drinking and N20 inhalation” in Reservoir Park which provides pedestrian access to Boronia House.

The building dates back to 1885.

North Shore Police said: “Reservoir Park occasionally comes under the notice of police due to youths consuming drugs or alcohol” but said measures such as lighting, CCTV and alarms could be incorporated into the development plan to assist safety.

The planning panel has recommended supporting the development, saying the proposed deck “is considered an appropriate form of development to enhance the vitality and appreciation of the building” and “does not alienate public use so detrimentally as to warrant refusal of the application.”

The panel said its assessment was based “on there being no intensification of the use of the site”.

The approval would be subject to a string of conditions including adequate lighting for security, plans to address dilapidation, measures for tree protection and a limit of construction activity from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.

The planning panel will consider the recommendation at a meeting on October 20.