Not even six metres wide, the strip of land that cuts between a cafe and a gift store on the main drag of Helensburgh looks like a public walkway.
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Judging by the grass worn down by plenty of feet and the greenery that's been planted along the edges, the residents certainly see it that way.
But it's actually private property and that long, skinny strip of land measuring 5.9 metres wide and 50 metres long (around half an Olympic pool in area, by the way) may well have a long skinny building on it soon.
A development application has been lodged with Wollongong City Council to build shop-top housing at the slim site.
"The subject land was at one time a private road and informally formed part of the public laneway network at the rear of commercial premises in the locality," the application's statement of environmental effects said.
"The site does not appear to have ever been occupied for any commercial purpose and has generally been treated as a public space."
The 9.5-metre two-storey structure proposed for the site will include basement parking for four cars with lift access to the retail section and residential areas above.
That long, skinny strip of land may well have a long skinny building on it soon.
The residential component will include a ground floor rumpus area and toilet with three bedrooms and a central courtyard with a rooftop window.
The building will not take up the entire length of the block, with the rear maintaining space to park a further three cars.
The well-established tree on the Walker Street end of the block will be maintained, according to the development application documents.
An arborist study found the tree did not need to be removed as it was "sufficiently distanced to be safely retained and unimpacted from the proposed design".
A traffic report said the development would result in less than two vehicle movements an hour in the morning and evening peak.
"Thus, the traffic generation consequential to the development scheme will be very minor," the study stated.
The application is on exhibition until November 3.
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