Hens come home to roost in Chamberlains
By Craig Westcott
Despite opposition from the people who will live next to it, CBS council Tuesday approved a 10-unit housing development for the site of the former Bungalow Lounge on Chamberlains Road.
Ward 1 councillor Shelley Moores, who moved to approve the units at 79-83 Chamberlains Road, noted council was adding a stipulation that the developer include a design to ensure there is zero net increase in stormwater runoff as a result of the construction and added housing.
The Town held a public hearing on the application in June. Residents from the area registered worries about everything from increased traffic volumes and reduced property values to a fear the units will turn into social housing. The developer plans to build three two-story buildings, one of which will contain four apartments. The other two buildings will contain three apartments each.
“We did receive 11 submissions, although we do feel as a council that these things can be regulated and maintained to move forward with this development,” Moores said.
In other development news:
● The owner of the property at 24 Sweetenwater Crescent in Manuels has been given approval to open a hair salon as a home-based business. The owner has to make sure there are at least five off-street parking spaces available for the home and business.
“It’s great to see a home-based business,” said Moores. “We had one concern (come in) about traffic, but we feel that can be controlled in this area.”
● A greenhouse permit for the property at 374-376 Fowlers Road has been given the green light.
The greenhouse will measure some 30 square metres in size and required the discretionary approval of council.
“We did have some concerns regarding noise control and the size of the structure,” Moores said, “but based on where this greenhouse is going to be positioned on the piece of land, we don’t feel that these will be concerns, so we are recommending it to be approved.”
● An applicant at 91 Cherry Lane was not so lucky. That person applied to build a gazebo.
Moores said it had to be rejected because the applicant wanted to build it in front of the house.
“It could be possibly located elsewhere on the property,” she added. “So, the Town is going to work with them to see if that’s an option.”
Councillor-at-large Joshua Barrett noted the same rule applies to sheds and other accessory buildings, which are not allowed to be built in front of a house.
● Residents of Uplands Road in Chamberlains may soon awake to the sounds of squawking, and not just from the radio.
Council has approved an application from the owner of 37 Uplands to keep 10 laying hens as part of a hobby farm. The owner will have to apply separately to erect a henhouse, and register his operation with the Province, Moores said.
“It’s interesting that we’re limiting this property to 10 hens, when Uplands Road is part of what used to be Uplands Farm, and is now Chamberlains Park,” observed councillor-at-large Rex Hillier, who serves as council’s much appreciated, if unofficial, town historian. “I’m sure they had more than 10 hens there when it was a full-fledged farm.”
“So, you’re saying they’ve come home to roost, is that the idea,” joked Mayor Darrin Bent.
“I’m saying we’ve come home to roost,” said Hillier.