Town worried about landslides on Manuels River

By Craig Westcott/November 4, 2021

Approval for a new house at 30 Flats Road in CBS has been rescinded while the Town orders a geotechnical study to see if it’s safe to build along that part of Manuels River following a landslide earlier this year.

Councilor-at-large Rex Hiller, who chairs council’s planning and development committee, apprised the rest of council Tuesday on the need for the study.

Hillier served a motion that CBS seek quotes from geotechnical engineering firms to examine the risk of landslides and slope failures along the embankments of Manuels River north of Route 60. That’s the area running from the main road and back along the side roads of Cherry Lane overlooking the flats of the river to where it empties into the ocean near Worsley Park. Like all parts of the river from the main road to the ocean, the banks are steep and studded with loose gravel, shale, trees and bounders in places.

“We had a landslide along that strip of Manuels River earlier in the year, and we want to make sure the area is okay for development moving forward,” said Hiller. “The area that would be most affected for potential development would be along Flat’s Road, Martha’s Place and that area.”

Hillier’s motion passed unanimously, with Ward-3 councilor Gerard Tilley abstaining from the discussion and vote because he has a relative living in the area.

In other development news:

Council has granted approval to an application to demolish a house at 14-18 Dove Place and replace it with a new one. Hillier said the old structure has deteriorated beyond repair and his committee recommended approval for a new home “notwithstanding the absence of frontage on a public road and the absence of municipal water and sewer services.”

The Town will stay its hand, for now, in coming out against exploration drilling and trenching for minerals near Wych Hazel Pond off Minerals Road. Hillier’s committee was prepared to recommend that council oppose the application because of concerns about possible negative impacts from discharged water from the exploration work, but Hillier asked his colleagues to hold off for now while the Town awaits more information.

The Town will give the go-ahead to the owner of 19-21 Golden Road to change the non-conforming use of the property from a general garage to light industrial activity. “Council is of the opinion that the proposed use is more compatible with the neighbourhood than the previous use of the property,” said Hillier. “We come by that opinion as a result of our staff dropping by those premises and seeing the work that will go on there.”Hillier said the light industrial use will be “powder coating.”

A permit will not be forthcoming to the owner of a property at 103 Fowlers Road who wants to build a fence, retaining wall, pool and deck on his land. Hillier said the Town has to reject the application because the structures would be located in the front and side yards of the property, which is against the development regulations, likely because of the pool (al though that was not clarified.)

And finally, the Town is ordering construction of a privacy fence along the western side boundary of property at 202 Seal Cove Road where a new Canada Post outlet will be located. The fence must be setback at least five metres.

“We’re working with Canada Post – they want to put a postal outlet on that lot – and we’re just working with them to make sure that we get it right from the beginning,” Hillier explained.