A new park will be created next to Kirrawee train station on a site where a 50-room boarding house was controversially proposed.
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Sutherland Shire Council has effectively killed two birds with one stone by buying the property at 168 Oak Road for $3 million from developer contribution funds.
The new park that will take shape on the 1961 square metre site next to the railway line will complement the park being created a few hundred metres away on the brick pit development, South Village.
The council approved the deal at a confidential meeting to avoid other interests learning of its intention and driving up the price.
Cr Kent Johns, who has led a charge for more community facilities around the brick pit development, said, "It's a far better outcome to have open space and a new park there rather than a boarding house".
"With the amount of development in the area, we need more open space.
"The brick pit park will satisfy some, but not all, of the demand."
The triangular shaped park site, which was advertised as a deceased estate, is occupied by a house and swimming pool.
Local residents protested when a development application was lodged in 2017 for a 50-room boarding house for up to 100 lodgers.
"Please give us a break", wrote one resident, who had lived in the area for 45 years.
"We have had enough development (eg brick pit) in our area."
More than 30 submissions objecting to the plans highlighted existing overdevelopment and traffic and parking problems in the area.
A range of other issues were also raised, including the safety of children and the potential for social conflict with 100 residents in mostly small shared rooms averaging 16 square metres in size in close proximity to each other.
Sutherland Shire Environment Centre also opposed the development on the grounds that it would prevent implementation of the Sutherland to Cronulla cycle-walk link along the rail corridor from Kirrawee to Gymea.
The prospects of the boarding house being approved decreased when the state government announced boarding houses in R2 zones, which applies to that area, would be limited to 12 rooms.
The property was advertised for sale this year.
