It looks like a laneway and has been used as one for many years, but soon this skinny slice of land at Stanwell Tops could be home to a house – albeit a small one.
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A development application (DA) has been lodged with Wollongong City Council to build a single-storey, timber-framed dwelling on Lot 185 Annesley Avenue – a parcel of land six metres wide and 97.5 metres deep.
The land runs north-south between Annesley Avenue and Bendena Gardens. The occupants of a number of homes on Stonehaven Road use it for rear access and have garages along its length.
Chris Smith, one of those residents, has lived on a corner block for almost 39 years; his only garage access is via the vacant block of land.
Mr Smith labelled the plan as “stupid”.
“It’s only three-and-a-half, four metres wide and it’s made out of timber. We’re prone for bushfires in this area; it’s just stupidity,” he told the Mercury.
“It’s not about the size of the house … it’s where it’s being built.”
Mr Smith’s neighbour, Thomas Napier, bought his home in 2015 and said a major selling point was the two double-car garages accessible from the property’s rear.
Mr Napier, like many of his neighbours, were of the understanding their title deeds gave them use of the land as a carriageway.
“It’s someone that is just purely trying to make a buck out of a bit of land. It’s more disrespectful for the current people that live there,” he said.
“As an investment it’s a very smart decision, but as a human being and as someone with a bit of respect it’s just rubbing salt into everyone’s wounds.”
Mr Smith said the land – zoned residential – was previously owned by Wollongong City Council, which approved the residents’ garages facing the vacant block.
A council spokeswoman said the adjoining properties’ legal right of access would be considered as part of the DA assessment.
More than 10 submissions have been received, she said, meaning it would be determined by the Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel.
According to the DA, the proposed house would be six metres from the Annesley Avenue boundary and 0.9m from properties on either side.
It would be split level, due to the sloping nature of the site, and have a floor area of 128.7sqm – or about 22 per cent of the entire block.
Applicant Robert Phelan said the DA complied with council regulations and his client was told no adjoining residents had permission to use the land as an access.
Public submissions on the DA close on Wednesday.