It was knocked back three years ago but rumours of a KFC at Bulli just won't go away.
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And the proponents haven't given up on plans to build one of the Colonel's restaurants in the Princes Highway development anchored by Woolworths.
When Woolworths began upgrading the car park to add a further 40 spaces, rumours started that the changes would include a KFC.
That the development has left a freshly turfed area of land at the northern edge has only fuelled those rumours - with some insisting a drive-thru KFC is coming.
Woolworths said the area was turfed to improve its aesthetics in the short term while the company worked out what the land would be used for.
The company declined to say whether a KFC was still under consideration.
However, the proponents met with Wollongong City Council earlier this year to discuss the proposed Bulli KFC.
A council spokeswoman said the proponent - Woolworths' in-house corporate property division Fabcot - had not resubmitted a development application since council's August 2017 refusal.
"However, they have sought feedback on an amended proposal on the same site through a pre-lodgement meeting," the spokeswoman said.
A pre-lodgement meeting is a way to identify and resolve issues before an application is lodged.
The spokeswoman said that meeting occurred in April this year.
There were also rumours on social media that KFC was coming to Woonona - at a block of vacant land on the Princes Highway near the Campbell Street intersection.
The council spokeswoman said no development application had been lodged and they were unaware of any plans for a Woonona KFC outlet.
The saga of the Bulli KFC began just before Christmas 2016, when plans to build one on the Bulli Smash Repairs site were lodged.
Opponents quickly sprang up, claiming the restaurant would "detract from the unique character of the area", increase street litter and threaten nearby businesses.
Rival groups were launched on Facebook, one called "No to KFC in Bulli", the other tagged "Yes to KFC in Bulli".
In June, Woolworths revised its plans but in August council knocked it back.
Council ruled it didn't comply with a range of planning rules, including development standards relating to parking, crime prevention and "character".
"The proposal fails to demonstrate the likely impacts of the development will not be adverse," the council refusal said.
KFC Australia was also contacted for comment on this story.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
