New plan for Old Yanchep Surf Club site

A NEW redevelopment proposal for the Old Yanchep Surf Club will result in another round of community consultation after an earlier proponent in October told the City of Wanneroo they would not proceed with their project.

On December 14 Wanneroo councillors gave approval for the chief executive officer to negotiate a commercial lease with Be Our Guest (Dome) and to invite public comments on its redevelopment proposal.

Nigel Oakey from Dome said the company’s redevelopment proposal for the Old Yanchep Surf Club site included a beach-front kiosk, café, bar and boutique accommodation with the architecture and styling adapted for the location.

Mr Oakey said the aim was to “thoroughly express the Yanchep lagoon story and to be engaged with the community in doing that’’.

“This demands a very sensitive approach to the site and expressing in all facets the natural beauty of the location and thereby ‘celebrating the place’ as we have done (with) other projects,’’ he said.

“It is important to know that the master branding of the whole site will be a name appropriate to the site and consistent with the identity and logos of our other story-telling hotels.”

Yanchep News Online asked Mr Oakey if he had spent much time at the Old Yanchep Surf Club site and if the redevelopment would take into account the very strong sea breezes experienced most afternoons along the WA coastline.

“Yes, we were aware of this and the orientation of the site as we are contemplating it now takes this into account.

“There is however more work to be done.’’

Mr Oakey was also asked if some of the other sites redeveloped by Be Our Guest such as the Premier Mill Hotel, Farmers Home Hotel and Freshwaters Café had originally had more substantial and more historical buildings to work with and would a redevelopment similar to those at Butler and Kwinana be more likely with the added advantage of being able to capture the views but also provide protection from the wind.

He said Freshwaters Café was a brand-new modern building with a waterfront location.

“It was an architecture award winner with construction from ironbark timber and a long sleek profile suited to its waterfront setting by the Swan River.

“We have also done many other greenfield sites with stunning modern architecture including a beautiful café recently in Byford town centre.

“In respect to the heritage sites we have done, it is true that in these sites there is built heritage from which we can leverage but the core principle is the same for all these locations; that they must respond to and support their location and setting.

“Our response at Yanchep Lagoon will thus be equally bespoke and appropriate and will be an iterative and creative process with experienced and highly awarded architects – all done in such a way that the Yanchep Lagoon story will be told compellingly.’’

The officer’s report recommends community engagement happens in a similar form to engagement for the previous (Westland proposal), using the same level of detail  provided for that proposal, including about 70 community members who participated in the master plan PDF  in November 2018 (and about 20 others who were not selected) and about 35 people who attended the community open evening (December 17, 2018).

The report also recommended consultation include about 200 people who subscribed online to be kept up-to-date on the Yanchep Lagoon project and about 2000 households and businesses in a catchment incorporating an area east of Yanchep Lagoon, bounded by Marmion Ave to the east, Lagoon Dr-Oldham Park-Anchors Park to the south and a northern extension to Capricorn Esp-Templetonia Blvd.

There was also the suggestion that Be Our Guest be invited to provide a presentation and receive feedback from the working group.

The report said the Be Our Guest proposal was previously considered during the expression of interest process and was a close second to the Westland submission and that the company’s proposal had included design elements such as open buildings with transparent facades, operable walls and unenclosed spaces, wide eaves, verandas and canopy roofs creating shady spaces, natural limestone and wood material with contemporary character and lightweight and sustainable construction methods.

A motion, which noted a further report would be provided to the council after responses to a public notice and community consultation, was moved by the Mayor Tracey Roberts and seconded by North Coast ward councillor Chris Baker.

Councillors voted unanimously for the recommendation including North Coast ward councillor Linda Aitken who said she was excited about the proposal given the imminent population increase with the Yanchep rail extension and building development happening in the area.

North Coast ward councillor Nat Sangalli said it had been a hard decision for her to make but she was happy to support the proposal while urging the developer to listen to the consultation that would come back.