A development application for the Wayzgoose cafe building in Leura has been rejected by the independent body set up to assess it.
The Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel held a meeting in the Cultural Centre on Monday night.
It was considering a revised DA for the historic Leura Mall site, which would retain much of the historic fabric of the building plus add a second building behind it.
The DA was substantially amended after widespread community complaints about the initial plans.
Several locals addressed the meeting: Some expressed pleasure that criticisms had been heeded, others thought some aspects of the new plan could still be improved, and still others queried why so much of the project had been shrouded in secrecy.
One long-term resident, Lorraine Droga, asked the panel to “totally reject this DA. I believe you don’t fiddle with heritage buildings – you fix them. Ten thousand signatures on a petition and almost 200 submissions echo that sentiment.”
Councillor Kerry Brown said of the proposed new building that perhaps “we could have done something interesting there … something around sustainability”.
Wayzgoose Cafe owner, Mark Alchin, who has operated on the site for 17 years, said he would be hoping to take up tenancy in the new building, and suggested some possible improvements, including to the roofline, which looked rather “boxy”, and to windows which could be enlarged to take advantage of the aspect.
Mr Alchin told the hearing he had been “striving for several years to save this building – Leura’s oldest commercial building”.
He had also been motivated to“protect my own investment and a family business which I see as the future for my daughter.”
The panel then quizzed the DA’s architect, Simon Hearn, about a number of issues including the design for the new section.
Mr Hearn said initially demolition was on the cards but those plans were changed and council had looked for the “best solution”.
He also pointed out that initially the building had not been heritage-listed but a later review had recommended it be added to council’s heritage register.
After a short adjournment, the panel returned to confirm that it would reject the DA as it currently stood.
Chairwoman, Mary-Lynne Taylor, said: “We will defer the application for further work to be done.”
“What’s offered to date is not good enough for a Blue Mountains City Council in a world heritage area. We believe it can be better.”
She said while the addition at the rear didn’t “dominate” the historic building at the front, there were criticisms about “the integration of the old and the new”.
There were also still issues such as sub-floor ventilation, fire protection and landscaping.
“This proposal now needs urban design input… [It] needs a holistic and comprehensive landscape plan… It’s important to reinstate the soft and leafy character of the lane [from the Mall to the carpark].
The panel will reconvene at a later date, Ms Taylor said.
“As yet, we are not satisfied.”
The mayor, Mark Greenhill, welcomed the IHAP’s decision and said council had made the right decision in appointing the panel.
The DA will return to the IHAP for final assessment after the new building design has been reviewed and once the requested scheduled of conservation works has been completed.