A plan for a 118-lot residential development in Mosgiel with 44 properties smaller than allowed in Dunedin's district plan would create "an undesirable precedent", a Dunedin City Council planner says.
Lianne Darby has recommended a resource consent hearings committee, due to consider the issue on Friday decline consent.
Consent has been requested by Allan and Martin Dippie, of Otago Business Park Ltd, for subdivision of land off Gladstone Rd North, to be developed in three stages, on land zoned residential 6.
The minimum size for sections in the standard residential 1 zone throughout the city is 500sq m.
Under residential 6 zoning, sites must be no less than 1000sq m, but the proposal asked for 44 of the sites to be smaller than that, with the smallest dwelling site 680sq m.
Their consent also requested smaller yards for the sites than the minimum 9m for front yards and 6m for rear and sides.
The plan attracted 33 submissions, 25 opposing the plan, seven neutral and none in support, many of which came from potential neighbours angry their semi-rural suburb could make way for more development.
Ms Darby said in her report to the committee the number and percentage of the undersized lots was too high to be successfully mitigated.
"The proposal is, in effect, a plan change," she said. "I do not consider the resource consent process to be an appropriate mechanism for achieving this outcome."
The consent will be decided by Crs Colin Weatherall, Andrew Noone and Fliss Butcher, and Mosgiel Taieri Community Board member Martin Dillon.
