A seven-storey boarding house could be built at 11-13 The Seven Ways, Rockdale under a development application just lodged with Bayside Council.
The $5 million plan would include 53 boarding rooms, a ground floor commercial outlet and a communal rooftop open space.
"The proposal is an appropriate development for the site and of a modest scale in the context of the Rockdale Town Centre Masterplan which envisages development of up to 12-storeys," according to the Statement of Environmental Effects accompanying the DA.
"The proposal will provide a form of housing which has been identified by Bayside Council as being in short supply, in a walkable place with exceptional access to public transport, shops and services.
"The proposal will commence the revitalisation of the northern side of The Seven Ways."
The 411 square-metre site, which is currently houses a two storey commercial building, is 50-metres from the Rockdale Transport Interchange. The site backs onto the Illawarra rail line.
Given the site's constraints, no vehicle access is proposed from The Seven Ways and no car or motorcycle parking is proposed.
At 22-metres in height it is considered at the bottom range of permissible heights in the area which allows future developments of up to 40-metres.
The ground floor will have 141sqm of commercial premises, a 38sqm common room, a manager's room and bicycle parking for 12 bicycles to encourage alternative modes of transportation.
Levels one to five would have nine boarding rooms each ranging in size from 18sqm to 25sqm and level six eight boarding rooms of similar size.
The communal rooftop area would have a barbecue, roof terrace and vegetable garden.
"The proposed development comprises a new generation boarding house providing a form of low-cost rental accommodation for a wide range of tenants including singles, retirees, students and young couples," the SEE states.
"A new generation boarding house is simply a boarding house with self-contained rooms and often a high standard of communal facilities.
"Sometimes also referred to as 'micro apartments', new generation boarding houses fulfil a legitimate, if not a niche role in the housing market."
The proposal will make a "positive contribution to the desired future character" of the area, the SEE concluded.
