A council planner has recommended its application be declined.
A Dunedin City Council resource consent hearing on May 17 will consider a plan by JJ Ltd, a Mosgiel business that has outgrown its premises, to move to a site at the corner of Gordon and Dukes Rds.
The company has chosen a rural-zoned piece of land in an area with high-class soils.
That flies in the face of rules in both the current district plan, and the proposed second generation plan, and has counted against the proposal.
The application will go before a hearings committee headed by Cr Aaron Hawkins.
The agenda for the hearing shows JJ Ltd, which occupies a site in the Mosgiel industrial area in Gladstone Rd South, has run out of room.
The application, prepared by Allan Cubitt, of Cubitt Consulting, said that site was "far too small with no possible opportunity of purchasing adjoining land".
The new site in Gordon Rd would have an up to 2300sqm building, a display area for up to 35 tractors and 50 farm implements, and an off-road tractor test track at least 200m long.
JJ Ltd director Grant Jones referred Otago Daily Times inquiries to Mr Cubitt, who could not be contacted yesterday.
But the application discussed the reason the company was asking to set up on rural land.
"The applicant has been searching for alternative premises for some time now, focusing on appropriately zoned sites within the industrial areas of Mosgiel."
However, no site was large enough, or of the right dimensions, to accommodate the needs of the business.
"Hence, the search was widened to rural properties that are close enough to Mosgiel."
Consultant planner Emma Spalding said in her report there was a large industrial zoned area in Dukes Rd North, and the council's policy team had advised there was sufficient capacity there for the business.
She did not agree with the applicant the business would be most appropriately located in a rural zone.
She recommended the application be declined.
There were eight submissions on the consent proposal, four opposing, three neutral, and one supporting.
Opposition related to concerns about protecting rural land, locating commercial activity near a busy intersection and development on high-class soils.
The hearings panel makes the final decision on the matter after the hearing.
