A COMPROMISE has been reached between Kogarah Council and developers of a proposed boarding house on the Princes Highway at Beverley Park.
At first Kogarah Council wasn't too happy with the development application for 46-48 Princes Highway, the home of Sydney City Motorcycles, which requested a boarding house with 49 rooms plus a manager's room, communal kitchen and living rooms and parking for 12 cars and eight motorcycles.
Rooms at the 1931-square-metre site ranged in size from 16.3 to 24.3 square metres and included a kitchenette, bathroom and potential to accommodate two lodgers.
The development attracted 36 submissions, including a petition containing 136 names.
Concerns included traffic and parking, non-compliance, inconsistency with local character, noise, rubbish and undesirable people.
At its meeting on July 27 the council deferred the matter in the hope of negotiating a development with fewer rooms and fewer people.
When proposing a deferral, Cr Nick Katris said that the potential of 100 lodgers plus visitors occupying the site was too intense for the area and a redesign was needed.
Cr Katris said he would like to see larger rooms and their number reduced to about 40.
The development was approved with amendments at the August 24 council meeting.
Although room sizes will remain the same, the development will now house a maximum of 75 boarders after 16 of the smallest rooms were amended to single occupancy only.
Boarding house management will be required to maintain a register of occupants which would be made available for council officers to inspect at any time.
Neighbours fearing noise might be glad to know that use of the rear ground level external common areas will not be permitted between 10pm and 7am, Sunday to Thursday and 11pm and 7am, Friday and Saturday.
What do you think of the compromise?
