According to a proposal submitted by Cardno on behalf of Woonona company Acentria Hercules Pty Ltd, the flats are proposed for a 3000 square metre, L-shaped block at 35 Yellagong Street.

The two and three level apartments in the $4.3 million development would be built over three separate buildings and would be divided into strata title homes.

Each would have three-bedrooms, a courtyard and a double garage, with the total development taking up 1700 square metres.

According to the development application with Wollongong City Council, most of the apartments will not be visible from the street, built on a large vacant piece of land that has been undeveloped since at least 1977.

Some of the apartments would exceed the two-storey height limit, however the developers believe this is “considered acceptable” because the three-storey buildings “present as double storey” due to the slope of the site. 

The plans say the development will “provide for additional housing choice” on an underused site that has previously been approved for medium density residential development.

It will use “an architectural style that includes the use of face brick work and pitched rooves that are sympathetic to the prevailing character of the locality”.

A traffic impact assessment found the proposed development would generate eight car trips in the morning and evening peak hour, which developers said was “minimal and not expected to have any unacceptable traffic implications to the external road network”.

An acoustic study predicted there would be noise from cars starting, car doors closing and people driving through the site and recommended a 2.1 metre privacy fence be installed to protect residents at 33 and 37 Yellagong Street.

The plans are on exhibition through the council’s website, wollongong.nsw.gov.au, until October 28.