NEWS DESK
Conditional ‘yes’ to Conti rebuild Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au CONTINENTAL Hotel developer Julian Gerner says Mornington Peninsula Shire’s approval of his development application gives him “something tangible to show financiers” in the lead-up to starting the $50 million project. “I am pleased that the overall scheme has been endorsed,” he said. “I am excited, but there’s an awful lot of work to do – much of it well advanced.” The council at last week’s meeting backed an application by Mr Gerner’s Continental Development company for extensive alterations and additions to the historic hotel. This paves the way for the creation of 24 new hotel rooms, four-storey above-ground building with 16 units, communal rooftop area, wellness centre with gym, cafe, change rooms, offices and terrace with lap pool. A two level basement car park will
have 58 spaces and a public car park with 25 car spaces on land at 23 Constitution Hill Rd which the shire will sell to Mr Gerner for $1.8 million plus GST. The developer said he was “on my own” in the project which – as one of the conditions in the development approval states – must be completed within six years. Other conditions provide for a further 20 car parking bays within a seven-minute walk of the site, or making an additional level of public car parking within the development. The shire’s property strategy team leader Jim Houlahan told council the sale of the car park land to Mr Gerner has the “potential to contribute to a better planning outcome for the reinvigoration of the adjoining heritage hotel and enabling it to continue to operate as an operating hotel rather than conversion to alternative uses including apartments”. It had been expected that Heritage Victoria would need to “sign off” on the Continental Hotel’s redevelopment
application before approval could be given by the shire. This does not appear to have been the case. Heritage Victoria has previously described the hotel as being of architectural significance to the state as a relatively intact example of the type of hotel development popular in the later years of the 19th century providing accommodation, entertainment and associated hotel services for wealthy city tourists. “The hotel, constructed of local limestone, is important as a landmark building for the seaside town of Sorrento as it is situated on a prominent site at the entry to the town,” Heritage Victoria has said. Thirteen objectors to the planning application included Nepean Historical Society’s Frank Hindley, and Nepean Conservation Group’s Ursula De Jong. Mr Hindley said the height and bulk of the proposed rear four-storey building with 16 apartments, communal rooftop area, wellness centre and rooftop gardens, would deprive the hotel
of its landmark status as intended by Founder-of-Sorrento George Coppin. “The council only saw the landmark as being a feature of the Main St, yet it is a landmark for the whole district,” he said. “Coppin designed the building and tower to be a landmark, but it’s to be completely overshadowed by a building of excessive height and bulk.” The historical society says the new building’s height should not exceed the eaves of the old hotel, leaving the tower and mansard as the landmarks they were intended to be for the whole district. “The skyline will be obstructed and ruined,” Mr Hindley said. “The people who live and work there are keenly aware of the mass and bulk of the proposed building, but they look to the council to interpret that for residents.” Nepean Conservation Group president Dr Ursula de Jong said the apartment block would be visible from the bay and back beaches of Sorrento.
Senior Citizens Register turns 21 ROSEBUD Police Senior Citizens Register has clocked up 21 years of providing peace of mind to more than 3500 older residents of the southern peninsula. Since 1995, co-ordinators Marie Parkinson and Elaine Wallbridge have worked with 35 other volunteers to provide assurance and security among senior citizens from Mornington to Portsea. For 21 years Ms Parkinson has been overseeing and updating the growing client list, ensuring the welfare of disabled, retired or isolated elderly via regular phone calls and home visits, as well as providing ongoing support and coordination with Rosebud Police. Ms Parkinson has been running things out of the same office in Rosebud station since the beginning. “At the end of the first year we were excited because we had 500 clients,” she said. “Nowadays, at its peak, there are over 4000 elderly across the peninsula using the benefits of the service and 20 other divisions are being set up across Victoria.” Over this time the need for police guidance in the running of the organisation has diminished, however, the coordination of the register’s work by volunteers and Rosebud police has proved integral to staying engaged with older members of the community. To mark the occasion on Tuesday, Rosebud police sang Happy Birthday to the volunteers – with Senior Sergeant John Wardle thanking them for their efforts. “It has been amazing to work alongside you,” he said. After the celebration, Ms Wallbridge praised the ongoing support of police: “It is nice when someone says thank you.” Rosebud Police Senior Citizens Register is run through fundraising and donations. Details: call 5986 0400.
“It will dominate the skyline and detrimentally impact on the iconic hotel,” she said. “The huge bulk of the proposed development is entirely out of place in the historic coastal village of Sorrento. “The council would not have given approval if it had been proposed for Mornington – yet that’s a full-scale town. “And we are appalled that the shire chose not to comment on the hotel’s heritage values: they have abrogated their responsibilities on heritage.” An auditor will be appointed to review the shire administrative processes in the aftermath of the sale of Continental Hotel’s rear car park to Mr Gerner. The council last week agreed to the audit among conditions for the hotel’s redevelopment. The audit aims to “provide both council and the community with a greater level of probity and transparency and, when completed, such report to become a public document”.
Pokies losses
Milestone: Rosebud Police Senior Citizens Register Co-ordinators Marie Parkinson and Elaine Wallbridge cut the 21st birthday cake with Senior Sergeant John Wardle.
POKIES losses across Frankston rose slightly in the past 12 months and still topped $63 million despite the introduction of voluntary precommitment cards for gamblers last year. Pokies punters in Mornington Peninsula Shire and Kingston lost $82,381,143 and $83,473,105 respectively in 2015-16. Pokies in Frankston became the subject of national media attention in April when the VCGLR, the state’s gambling regulator, controversally decided the Langwarrin Hotel’s offer to build a weatherproof children’s play area at the venue was a “significant reason” to approve an application for 10 extra gaming machines. Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) figures for 2015-16, released last week, show Frankston municipality pokies players lost $62,900,685 over 12 months, up from $62,065,687 in 2014-15. The Labor state government launched a $197 million YourPlay scheme in December last year allowing pokies players to preselect losses limits using a swipe card to gamble on poker machines. Critics of YourPlay note gamblers can simply increase the preselected limit if they want to play on. Uptake of the scheme has been slow. Just 8130 YourPlay cards have been registered.
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117 EASTBOURNE EAS STBOUR ROAD, ROSEBUD PHONE: 5986 1066 Southern Peninsula News 2 August 2016
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