A trendy Sydney Mexican restaurant has been ordered to stop building a small deck in a public park due to community backlash, despite receiving council approval.
Comedor was mostly welcomed by residents when it opened in July at a 100-year-old warehouse that backs onto Camperdown Memorial Rest Park in Newtown.
But things turned sour when the restaurant began building a deck for eight chairs on a 30-square-metre area of the park, despite having a 12-month agreement with the council to operate there.
Neighbours and councillors soon voiced their concerns, arguing that the deck would ‘commercialise’ the park and contribute to the suburb’s gentrification.
On Tuesday morning the council had reversed its decision, ordering Comedor to stop building the deck, even though the restaurant had already paid a $5,500 security deposit and an annual hiring fee.
Deputy Mayor Chloe Smith said that a formal community consultation would now take place and that ‘no installation or trading would take place until this process had been completed’.
‘It’s clear there was a significant misstep in the process here, and I’m really pleased we’ve been able to rectify this quickly,’ she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Tom Patterson, who lives next to the restaurant, said the deck could ‘get stuffed’.
Comedor was mostly welcomed by residents when it opened at a 100-year-old warehouse on Australia Street in Newtown, in the city’s inner west, in July
Locals were divided after the restaurant announced plans to build a deck for eight chairs (pictured) on 30 square metres of Camperdown Memorial Rest Park in Newtown
‘There’s this really big push to get Sydney more vibrant, and I’m absolutely for that. But Newtown doesn’t need to be more vibrant,’ he said.
‘It must be one of the most vibrant neighbourhoods in the world. What makes a great community is the contrast.
‘You can have amazing nightlife, and you can have a wonderful park.’
Outgoing Inner West councillor Dylan Griffiths said he would have expected widespread community consultation on the proposed deck.
‘I believe this is effectively privatisation of 30msq of well-used and much-loved public space as it will see exclusive use by a for profit entity during prime usage hours. Its an enclosure of the commons,’ he wrote on Facebook.
‘Camperdown Park is an important third space for our diverse community, including young people and disadvantaged residents. Not everyone can hangout at home, or afford to spend time in Newtown’s private spaces. Its an extremely active park.’
Comedor is a newly opened restaurant in the trendy suburb of Newtown
The deck would take up just 30sqm of Camperdown Memorial Park (pictured)
The plans were discussed at a community forum on Tuesday night and will be an agenda item at next week’s council meeting.
Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne said ‘describing this use of a very small section of the park as “privatisation” is over the top’.
He added that while community consultation should have taken place, residents had welcomed new cafes and bars in public spaces since Covid times.
An Inner West Council spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘The Café was approved by the Land and Environment Court (LEC) in 2021.
‘The café seeks to serve food and drink from a bifold window into the park. The café backs onto Camperdown Memorial Rest Park which is classified as Community Land.
‘As part of their concept, they sought permission from Council to construct a platform that could cater for 4 or 5 tables due to the unevenness of the ground.
Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne (pictured) said ‘describing this use of a very small section of the park as “privatisation” is over the top’
‘Council has provided a Hirers Agreement and the Parks Access permit for construction of the platform without engaging the community around the concept of serving food and drink in the park.
‘This engagement would usually form part of the license to operate a business on community land which is an approval required under the Local Government Act.
‘Realising this Local Government Act approval process had not taken place, Council has informed the proprietor of the café that all the permissions required have not been issued and that the approval process has been halted to enable proper community consultation and engagement to occur.
‘Council apologises for this error in process.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Comedor for comment.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk