CommunityCouncil

More duplexes and rowhouses approved by CBS council

By Craig Westcott

Whether it’s due to Ottawa’s push for towns to allow smaller apartments or the crushing demand for space by the tsunami of immigrants flooding the Northeast Avalon, there were more applications on the agenda of CBS council Tuesday to subdivide lands, erect row houses and pass new subdivisions.

One of the first items on the table, however, was a 67-lot subdivision that has been on the books for the past two years as the proponent threaded his way through the various regulatory requirements for a development that size.

The entrance to the subdivision will be a parcel of vacant land that now comprises 583-585 Conception Bay Highway, across from Hickey’s Funeral Home in Kelligrews. The subdivision will be situated between Taylors Lane on the east and Butlers Road South on the west.

“The developer was asked to do a Land Use Impact Assessment Report, basically because of the size of the development, and there were some concerns about how stormwater would be dealt with and some concerns about how the intersection of Butlers Road South and Route 60 looked and how it would have to be reconfigured,” said Councillor-at-Large Rex Hillier. “There was also a traffic study done that was part of that report. So that report has now come in and we’ve had a look at it and we’re in the process of approving it (the report) here this evening.”

Next up was an application to build four rowhouses at 33-35 Bairds Lane in Long Pond, which is situated at the end of Greenslades Road.

Ward 3 councillor Gerard Tilley, who chairs council’s planning committee, said the application had to be rejected because there are no sanitary sewer services available.

“Again, this is just one of those areas where the zoning doesn’t allow row dwellings in areas where they are not serviced by water and sewer,” said Tilley.
An application to build a seven-unit dwelling at 20-24 Anchorage Road in Long Pond was approved.

“The concept conforms to our development standards,” Tilley said. “Notices were advertised, posted and mailed to the neighbourhood. We had one supportive submission and two submissions noting (concerns about) privacy, flooding and property value. Staff are confident we can mitigate those particular issues.”

Asked by Mayor Darrin Bent whether the apartments will be one level or two stories high, Tilley couldn’t say for sure.

“I’m pretty sure it’s single level,” he said. “I’ll have to get back to you on that one.”

An application to allow for variances to the development rules on lot sizes so that land at 721-723 Conception Bay Highway can be subdivided into three parcels for residential building lots was also approved.

Tilley said residents in the area were notified of the application and the Town received only one submission in return, which raised concerns about traffic volumes, signage, infrastructure and pedestrian safety. The land is on the corner of Tilleys Road South, across from Steve’s Automotive. “We considered the concerns and determined the issues can be mitigated,” Tilley said. “We’re probably going to ask our engineering department to increase the signage in that particular area.”
An application to subdivide land to allow for two building lots at 114-116 Cherry Lane, Manuels was also approved. However, it required council using its discretionary authority to allow a smaller rear yard for the existing dwelling and for the new lot that will be created and fronting on Herder Place.

Approval of a variance from the existing rules on frontages also enabled council to approve an application to subdivide property at 16-18 Pine Tree Road in Kelligrews to allow for two two-unit dwellings. The developer will, however, have to submit a grading plan for the lots.

Tilley said the existing house on the land will be removed to make way for the two new duplexes.

“The notice was advertised, and we received two submissions regarding demographics of residents, privacy and stormwater management. And staff are confident those issues can be mitigated as well,” he noted.

“Those are good issues to raise, for sure,” said Bent.

While all those applications pointed towards further density for the west end of CBS, council did received one application that harkened back somewhat to the town’s roots – namely a request to keep two hens and three beehives at 1372 Conception Bay Highway in Upper Gullies.

The only conditions on the hobby farm is that the owner register it with the Provincial farm registry and that a small barn to house the hens also passes muster.
“We did send out notices to the neighbourhood and all the submissions we received were supportive of the application,” Tilley said.

“No roosters, for sure?” said Bent.

“No roosters,” confirmed Tilley.

In other news:
● A request to park two commercial vehicles at 7 Kingsway Drive in Seal Cove was rejected. Council further ordered that the parking of any commercial vehicles there now, and the storage of any commercial materials at the property, cease.
“There is a bit of history with this particular application,” said Tilley. “There was an application granted back in April 2022, which has since expired. We had received several complaints regarding activity at this particular property. Multiple commercial vehicles are routinely parking on the property, as well (there) is material storage on the property, and of course our regulations only allow for the parking of one commercial vehicle in that area, so we had to, unfortunately, refuse the application.”
● An application to renovate a boathouse at 59 Villa Nova Road in Manuels passed this time around. The proponent had earlier applied to redevelop the boathouse into a residence but was turned down.
Tilley said the building is not to exceed eight meters (26 feet) in height and any sewerage coming from the structure must be discharged in an approved sanitary sewer system.
● An application to place a shed on the property at 13 Nextor Place in Seal Cove was rejected.
Tilley said there is no main building or house on the property.
“The house has yet to be constructed at this address,” he said. “Our regulations state that a shed must be an accessory to the main use on the property, and in the absence of a house there is no main use for that particular property.”
● The swimming pool being built at 28-38 Steep Nap Road in Long Pond will have to be removed, or at least moved.
Tilley said the pool is located than three metres from the house, which is not allowed under the development regulations.
“This is unfortunate that we had to turn this one down,” he said. “The construction started prior to the application. A pool is included within the provincial definition of an accessory building, and the accumulated lot coverage of the pool required public notice, which there was none. We did end up publishing notices and postings were circulated. We did receive one supportive submission, but the pool does not meet the minimum separation distance from the dwelling, so unfortunately, we had to refuse the application. I believe the applicant has very little recourse other than to appeal or relocate the pool, which is already started… I don’t know if that’s an option from an expense point of view.”
● And finally, council turned down an application and then ordered the closure of a mobile mechanic and snowclearing business inside a garage at 6 Chaytors Place in Chamberlains.
Tilley said that type of business is prohibited in the zone, and the applicant does not live at the property.
“It’s pretty self-explanatory,” Tilley said. “Our regulations prohibit mechanical repair services on residential properties.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *