“How we are looking at this is that the Indiana will proceed, subject to community consultation, and the foreshore refurbishment plan will follow from that,” Cottesloe Mayor Jo Dawkins said.
At last week’s meeting, councillors accepted a heads of agreement (HoA) allowing the council and restaurant operator Indiana Tea House Ltd to renegotiate the 50-year ground lease dating from 1994.
The council and some ratepayers claimed the lease caused conflict about the responsibility for cleaning and maintaining the toilets, which can become blocked and also suffer minor vandalism during peak beach use.
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READ NOWThe public now has six weeks to comment on a business plan for the restaurant’s redevelopment, before any talks about a potential new 15-year lease with a 10-year option.
The proposed redevelopment includes removing a lower-level kiosk to create a breezeway that may ventilate the toilets, and a new kiosk on a concrete deck between the restaurant and adjacent Marine Parade.
Council chief executive Mat Humfrey said the redevelopment work would mean the restaurant may not have front ramp access for at least one summer and ways to lessen the work’s impact on the business would have to be discussed, but a new lease was required.
“Public facilities should be maintained and controlled by local government,” Mr Humfrey said.
Before a redeveloped restaurant could open in mid-2017, it is proposed the $4.6m cost be split between the State Government ($1.775m), the restaurant ($1.3m) and the remainder from the council.
Cottesloe MLA Colin Barnett said he would take the council’s request for funding to the next round of State Budget meetings.