CBS to enforce backyard landscaping on some builds
By Craig Westcott
The Town of CBS is going to make subdivision builders start landscaping back lawns on properties in new developments before any occupancy permits will be issued.
“At one point in time we only required front lawns to be completed,” planning committee co-chairman Rex Hillier explained at the February 4 public council meeting. “Now we’re looking at rear yards because we’re finding ourselves in situations where you’ve got rear yards at a higher grade than the neighbours behind them. And when the landscaping is not completed, of course, you get erosion and all of that (water and soil) ends up down in the neighbour’s back yard. So, we’ll be passing that along to our builders in the town shortly.”
In other development news:
A public hearing will be held to discuss changes to the boundary between CBS and Paradise.
“The consultant that has been appointed to complete a feasibility study for the proposed boundary change is intending to hold a public meeting and formal public hearings regarding the matter in late February,” Hillier said. “I know there are people within the town who are looking to develop property as a result of these boundary changes and it’s nice to see that it’s moving forward.”
Residents of Windemere Place off Fowlers Road will soon have to face traffic disruptions, but there could be a pay off in the end.
Hillier said as a result of a 10-12 lot housing development on the lane, the asphalt in front of all the lots has to be removed. That section actually encompasses most of the street, he noted.
“Unfortunately, on either end Windemere is (already) in pretty rough shape, so we’re asking staff if they can reach out to the developer and ask that while the developer has two thirds of it torn up, perhaps we can work with them to complete the rest of it,” Hillier said.
Mayor Darrin Bent agreed the street is crumbling on one end. “It’s not very wide as it is,” he said. “Hopefully at the end of the day it will be better than when it started.”
And finally, the Town has agreed to entertain an application to rezone a section of Route 60 across the road from Villanova Junior High in Manuels from Residential Medium Density and Residential Mixed to Commercial General. As a result of the application, the Town intends to change the terms ‘Autobody Repair Shop’ to ‘Automotive Repair Shop’ in the Commercial General zone regulations.
The owner of the used automobile lot and garage across from the school has acquired an adjacent property and is looking to expand the operation and would also like the zoning to more accurately reflect the nature of the business being carried on at the site, said Hillier.
The applicant will have to pay the Town a non-refundable processing fee and a deposit for it to undertake the proposed rezoning and change to the development regulations. The Town will hold public consultations on the application, Hillier added.
“I think ‘Automotive Repair’ is more inclusive than ‘Autobody Repair’ in the designation so it makes more sense,” said Mayor Bent.