An additional 350 new dwellings could go up in Papamoa if two developers are successful in their bid to extend their approved Papamoa Special Housing Areas.

The application by Hawridge Developments Ltd in Palm Springs and Bluehaven Holdings Limited in Golden Sands are seeking new Special Housing Areas on the outskirts of the approved Social Housing Accord in the Wairakei urban growth area.

Developers are wanting more building space in Papamoa.

The Golden Sands proposal also includes a request to increase the building height limit from 9.5m to 17.5m over a small area of an existing SHA.

Tauranga City Council is holding a public open day at the Papamoa Sports and Recreation centre on Thursday, February 11, from 3pm to provide information to the public and answer questions.

Councillors, staff and developer representatives will be at the open day to answer questions about the special housing area proposals.

Details of the developers' proposals can be found at the city council website.

The proposals for Palm Springs and Golden Sands will be considered separately. The Golden Sands proposal is located on land that is already zoned for residential development. The Palm Springs proposal is located on land zoned for employment.

Due to the high level of demand for housing, and the connectivity of the area to adjacent residential development, this is considered appropriate states the council discussion document. This employment land will be relocated to an appropriate location in the Papamoa East area, it says.

The purpose of applying for SHAs in this area is to ensure development and provision of housing can be fast-tracked in this high-growth area to respond to demand.

City council planners have considered the infrastructure requirements, including transportation, water supply, wastewater, stormwater, reserve land and reserve facilities like playgrounds.

Taking into account both existing infrastructure and infrastructure that would be built as part of the proposed developments, Council considers that there would be sufficient capacity to accommodate the proposed expansions.

When the previous Special Housing Areas were approved in Papamoa East, the Council limited the number of houses that could be completed before Te Okuroa Drive provided a second road access.

Council staff don't expect the proposals will result in the threshold of 1400 houses being exceeded. The extension of Te Okuroa Drive is scheduled to be completed on time, in 2018.

The proposals for Palm Springs and Golden Sands will be considered separately.

Feedback must be received by 5pm Monday, February 22.

Decisions regarding the proposal will be made at a Council meeting in March.