Holyrood showing strong housing growth this spring

By Craig Westcott

While many towns and cities across Canada are reporting a slump in new housing starts this spring, Holyrood is bucking the trend in a big way with a bevy of development applications for new builds.
At the most recent public council meeting, the Town approved permits for seven new houses and two new businesses.
While on their own those numbers are not enough to tip the national economy out of the recession some economists suspect we’ve entered, it is pretty impressive for a town of some 2,500 people in just one month.
“It’s great to see so many business applications and residential applications as well,” said Deputy Mayor Michelle Woodford, who chairs council’s planning and development committee.
Among the permits issued for new home construction were applications for 556A Conception Bay Highway, 20 Haley’s Road, 5 Mountain Edge Drive, 105 – 107 Country Path, 90-92 Duff’s Road, 31 North Side Road, and 24 O’Rourke’s Road. Council rejected an application to build a new house at 6 Salmonier Line because it didn’t meet the minimum standards for frontage or floor area.
“We voted against it, but the applicant can still come back and work with the planning and development committee and the Town to try to make this application work in accordance with our development regulations,” said Mayor Gary Goobie. “So, just because it’s turned down once, that doesn’t mean that’s the end of the game.”
On the commercial side, council approved a permit for an esthetics salon at 394A Conception Bay Highway.
“That application required a Discretionary Use ad which went out,” said Woodford. “There was only one comment received on it, it was regarding parking. The parking issue was already something that was discussed with economic development, and planning and development, and the applicant provided a layout and adequate parking is available there.”
Mayor Goobie noted that all commercial applications in that area, which is designated as Town Centre in Holyrood’s zoning regulations, have to be advertised as Discretionary Use Notices to give the public a say on them.
Meanwhile council also approved a Crown Land referral application for two buildings to be built on Horizon Drive in the town’s industrial zone.
Woodford said two other business applications are in the works and are awaiting public response to discretionary use notices.