Holyrood approves bevy of permits, including sticky Crown Land situation

Holyrood will be alive with the sound of hammers and saws this summer, judging by the number of development applications approved during the June 30 public council meeting.
“From the permits list, you can see that people in this community are getting out, they’re putting up new fences, they’re building garages, they’re keeping their properties clean, and all these good things,” said Councillor Bruce King. “And that’s exactly what we want people to do. We want to try to eliminate the garbage and car wrecks and all that kind of stuff and paint your fence, do all the good things, and everybody will be happy.”
Council approved 12 permits, including ones for a garage, garage extension, general repairs, residential construction, a cart road upgrade, occupancy, and a residential extension.
Council also approved a variance to the lot frontage at 46 Conception Bay Highway, and a variance to lot frontage at 87 Kennedy’s Lane Extension.
The demolition of an old home at 35 North Side Road and construction of a new home in its place was also passed.
“There’s an old house there and the people that used to live there want to take the old house out of it and put a new house on the same spot,” said King. “The one there now is not fit to live in.”
Winsor said demolishing the home and building a new one would likely prove more cost efficient than remodelling the old one.
Council also approved a connection to a well and septic system and interior renovations to the storage facility at 43 Horizon Drive.
Council rescinded a motion that had approved construction of a home at 556A Conception Bay Highway. Winsor said the applicant had a change of plans and the rescinding was a formality. Council then approved a new application for the same address.
Council also approved – in principle – two Crown Land applications, one at 21 Brien’s Road and one at Duff’s Road.
The approval of the Duff’s Road application, however, came with some reservations.
“The Town has concern regarding the segment of Crown Land between the land applied for and Duff’s Road,” said King. “The applicant will have no access to the property other than to cross Crown Land. So, basically, this is something that the person that’s building up there is going to have to sort out with the Crown Lands officer. Because if the person is going to build something, what’s the sense of building something if you can’t get access to it? And they understand that, and it will be between them and the Crown Land office to sort it out.”