CouncilTop Story

By land and by sea

CBS council wades through land swaps, wharf proposals

By Craig Westcott | Vol. 32 No. 32 (Oct. 23, 2019)

The Town of CBS is saying sorry, but no can do to a resident who asked to buy some adjoining land to his property near the intersection of Spruce Hill Road and Route 60 in Topsail.


Planning and development committee chairman Rex Hillier said the town needs the land for future improvements at the intersection.


The land is owned by the Town and includes equipment connected to the pedestrian activated lights at the crosswalk there, which is located close to Topsail Elementary School.


“This is just another example of how our town is growing in leaps and bounds,” said Mayor Terry French. “There’s nothing more you’d like to do than give people small pieces of land next to their properties, but the reality is that we’re going to need that to expand the entrance and exit to that road.

It’s unfortunate, but it’s necessary.”


The Town was able to say yes, however, to a swap of land south of 26B Poppys Lane, off Dunns Hill Road in Foxtrap.


Hillier said the Town will convey 133 square metres of land to the property owner there, on the condition that it receive, in return, some land at the front along the eastern boundary of Poppys Lane to facilitate future road improvements. The owners of 26B Poppys Lane will also have to reimburse the Town for the difference in value of the parcels being swapped.


Hillier explained the agreement concludes negotiations the Town has been having to acquire land to widen the road.


In other development news, council has approved an application to operate a cabinet manufacturing business at 95 Peachytown Road, Foxtrap.


An application to operate an automobile detailing business in an accessory building on Chaytors Place, meanwhile, has been refused. Hillier said the proposed use is prohibited by the town’s development regulations for the area.


And finally, council has agreed to rescind its earlier refusal of a finger pier, ice wall and floating dock application at Perrins Road and instead recommend to the provincial Department of Fisheries that it be allowed to proceed. Because the application involves Crown Land, the Town had a right to express its opinion on the application. Hillier added the town’s support is subject to a condition that no commercial activity be allowed to happen at the dock once its constructed.


“This is an issue that has been ongoing for some time,” Hillier said. “This particular council voted on it back on July 16, and actually denied this recommendation. In the interim we’ve spent a bunch of time (on the matter) we’ve all visited the site, the proponents have been in a couple of times to speak with the (planning) committee and the committee of the whole, and this is the recommendation we bring forward tonight.”

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