An industrial estate at West Dapto might seem an unusual place for a church, but that's what one group wants to do.
The Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church has lodged a development application to hold church services in a unit - No 55 - in a yet-to-be constructed industrial estate on West Dapto Road.
Floor plans show the services taking place on the ground floor of the concrete-walled unit in front of an altar while a mezzanine level included office space, kitchen and toilet.
The church would be entered via a roller door, though a separate wall is proposed which would serve as an entry.
The site zoning of E4 Light Industrial allows for a place of public worship, even a small one - the development application states no more than 20 people will attend the services to be held every Sunday between 8:30am and 1pm.
Located in a still-rural pocket of Horsley means the proposed church will easily conform to the distance limitations the Wollongong Local Environment Plan imposes on places of worship.
These include being at least a radius of 250 metres from another church, 400 metres from a sex industry premises and at least 150 metres from a gun shop.
The proposal also suggested the church won't cause any traffic snarls.
"The development is not expected to result in adverse traffic impacts with regard to vehicle access and parking layout," the application stated "Adequate parking has been provided on the site."
The statement of environmental effects claimed the church would make "a positive economic and social contribution".
"The application is not expected to have any unreasonable impacts on the environment or the amenity of the locality," the statement of environmental effects said.
"It is considered appropriate with consideration to the zoning and the character of the area and is therefore considered to be in the public interest."
The development application is on public exhibition until September 25.
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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.
