RESIDENTS buying in new subdivisions have been reminded they cannot necessarily expect single homes to be built around them, with six homes proposed for a block in Lily Pilly Place.
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The developer used state legislation in 2015 to combine two 800 square metre lots into one lot large enough for multi-dwelling housing.
Only four units would have been possible if the lots remained separate.
MAP: Where is Lily Pilly Place?
But for Lily Pilly Place's other residents, who have only lived in the street for the past few months, the prospect of six homes came as a shock.
Addressing Orange City Council on Tuesday night, Chris Wood said his family bought "naively" thinking there would be nine separate houses in the street and one visitor parking space for the development would not be enough.
"We're going to have nowhere to park - we can't afford to give any of our frontage up," he said.
Councillors voted to defer the development application to ask the developer to consider a redesign, saying it was an overdevelopment of the site and was not in keeping with the original intent of the cul-de-sac.
Councillor Jason Hamling suggested five units might be more appropriate.
"The one down the front on the lefthand side looks like it's just been squashed in there - that could alleviate some of the residents' problems about the parking," he said.
Councillor Joanne McRae said the development did not meet private open space requirements.
"That may in fact give us an opportunity for refusal and require a redesign rather than a deferral hoping that the developer will find it in his heart, a reason to be the good guy," she said.
Councillor Jeff Whitton said dual occupancies were "the most painful things we had to deal with" in previous years and the council resolved at that time to make it clear on new subdivisions where certain types of development were allowed.
"Sooner or later we need to draw a line in the sand and say that we want to have a stronger say in our community about what is built, where it's built," he said.
"We don't want to just protect the developers and their investment in growing the city, we want to protect those people who are residents in our community, who have already invested in this city ... without being impacted by dwellings forced upon them by NSW Planning."
Acting development services director Mark Hodges said it blocks could be consolidated when they were compliant.
"It's certainly permissable," he said.
Councillor Tony Mileto asked for covenants on future subdivisions.
"Unless there's a covenant on a subdivision, what is stopping anyone else from buying two 800 square metre blocks which are vacant and doing exactly the same thing?" he said.
Mr Hodges said it was possible state legislation could still override covenants and they were also contestable in court.
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