A long-running neighbourhood dispute over a development application for a new house on Green Lane shows no signs of nearing a resolution, with the two protagonists appearing before an Orange City Council meeting this week to state their cases.
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The first chunk of the first council meeting of 2021 saw Green Lane neighbours Rex Wood (No.10) and Michael Truloff (No.12) in dispute over the look, positioning and dimensions of the house Mr Truloff is seeking permission to build.
Mr Wood claimed that in order to accommodate the difficulty of building on 12 Green Lane's sloping block planning rules had been loosened.
His main concerns were the design of the house and a lack of privacy.
However Mr Truloff said he had "done everything we can to accommodate ... we've reduced the height of the building, changed the shape and size of the upper deck, we've added two sets of privacy screens, reduced the size of windows and added opaque windows".
Mr Wood said he and his wife had bought 10 Green Lane about 10 years ago and moved to the city about three and a half years ago.
"Little did anyone tell us that when we came to Orange to buy our lovely mid-century, soon to be Heritage home on 2,000 square metres, that 75 percent of it we couldn't count as our private open space - that anyone could build next to us and make use of that, and then we are unable to use it and have privacy in it."
Mr Wood said he was opposed to the "appalling nature of the design of the build, and the fact it needs to be better structured".
In response to Mr Wood's description of the design of the house as "appalling" Mr Truloff said: "We actually think it looks OK.
"If you look down Green Lane there are some other houses that probably look rather large as well."
Mr Truloff said an image Mr Wood had shown to councillors of a proposed design was not from the latest amended development application, and said its dimensions had been "grossly over-exaggerated".
"It's a shame we've come to this," he said.
Mr Wood said he felt as if he had been "bulldozed" and "cornered" and that approval of the development was a "fait accompli".
"Call it an impassioned plea - all I'm looking for is equity and fairness."
A number of councillors have already visited Green Lane to inpsect the land, however another site visit is to be organised.
Council voted to defer a decision on the DA until after the site visit.
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