Council takes a pass on Manuels River lot

By Craig Westcott/January 6, 2023

CBS council found itself having to say no to a chance to buy a large slice of land near Manuels River last month.

The owner of the property at 384 – 390 Fowlers Road had offered to sell the land to the Town for some $220,000.

Councillor-at-large Rex Hiller, who chairs council’s planning committee, noted the Town has no immediate use for the land, nor does it have any funds budgeted for land acquisition.

“This is a piece of property adjacent to Manuels River, off the Manuels Arterial Road behind the Conception Bay South Industrial Park that’s basically cut off from access and the owners wish to sell the property and they have come to us wondering if we would like to purchase it, because for our purposes it would be a nice addition to open space along Manuels River,” Hillier said. “But at this point in time we’re not in a position to purchase it.”

Mayor Darrin Bent said it would be nice to be able to acquire the land. “But at the cost and the current (budget) situation, it’s just not possible for the Town to do so,” he said.

In other planning news:

Council has approved an application to subdivide property at 8-12 Tilleys Road South into two residential lots. The approval required a variance to allow smaller back yards and building setbacks than is required in the development regulations.

The former Church at 2571 Topsail Road in Chamberlains is about to become a salon and spa. Council approved the change in use at its December 20 meeting. Over the years the building has served as the headquarters for the former Kearley’s Appliance Repair business, as a real estate office and most recently as a place of worship for the Evening Light Fellowship, a fundamentalist sect of Christians that has been operating in the St. John’s area for some 40 years.

And finally, council is entertaining an application to rezone land at 135 – 137 Seal Cove Road from Residential Low Density to Residential Medium Density.

Hillier noted this is just the first step in the rezoning process and requires payment to the Town of a fee and deposit.

“Basically, the applicant has a property that is zoned R1 and wishes to rezone it to R2 and subsequently develop it as a small subdivision,” Hillier added. “So, this is the first step, reaching out to let stakeholders know that it is in the process and seeking input from them.”