Norfolk council has approved a zoning amendment to permit the construction of a small retail plaza at Lam Boulevard and Old Highway 24 in Waterford.
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The 810-square-meter retail space is part of a larger plan, called Orchard Square, which also includes a mid-rise apartment building with 44 rental units of various sizes on the southern portion of the land and, on the northern portion of the land, a stand-alone building for an unnamed fast-food restaurant with a drive-through. A minimum of 69 commercial parking spaces and 81 residential spaces are proposed.
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The current zoning already allows for a fast-food restaurant in the proposed location.
At an earlier meeting, Norfolk Mayor Amy Martin and Coun. Kim Huffman, who represents Waterford, strongly opposed the fast-food restaurant and drive-through portion of the development. Huffman said she didn’t think it should be a “gateway to our historic, quaint town,” suggesting “that is what our urban centers are for.” Martin said she didn’t want to see “chain establishments in our small hamlets.”
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“There has been a lot of discussion around the council table about an apartment building and a drive-through restaurant,” said John Vallee, agent for the developer prior to council’s vote on Tuesday. “But we’re here to talk about only what we applied for, which is retail space within the service commercial zone.
“This retail use is in a very good location that provides some buffering not only from the potential drive-through but protected industrial lands across the street.”
In a report to council, Norfolk County staff recommended approval of the zoning amendment.
“As Waterford already has a limited amount of commercial lands, staff are of the opinion that permitting retail would allow the subject lands to remain commercial and continue to cater to the local commercial and retail needs within the community,” said the report. “Further to this, the downtown area of Waterford consists of a total of 1.6 per cent of commercial lands, which may not necessarily meet the commercial needs of the growing community.”
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Martin asked Vallee if the developer has committed to the construction of a fast-food restaurant with a drive-through and not one of the other permitted uses, including a traditional restaurant or a take-out restaurant.
“The developer is looking at various options on this site,” said Vallee. “He’s negotiating with a couple of different companies.”
At a public hearing committee meeting in October, developer Tom O’Hara told councilors he was working with a tenant to design a building that fits in with the community.
“We want to respect Waterford,” said O’Hara. “It’s certainly out there that we’re bringing something to town and we’re receiving much more positive than negative (comment).”
Fabian Serra, a planner with the county, said there are at least four other existing developments in Norfolk with a drive-through restaurant next to an urban residential development.
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Serra said the retail portion of the Waterford development would provide screening from the drive-through. He also said staff will request fencing on the eastern portion of the land adjacent to the apartment building “to help mitigate any potential impacts from vehicles” using the drive-through.
Many of those details are worked out at the site plan stage of the development process, which ensures matters such as land use compatibility, access, landscaping, parking, barrier-free accessibility and site servicing are built and maintained.
Martin said she’d like county staff to “use site plan control to get the best possible setup for the community.”
“I encourage our staff to be really diligent with the use of site plan control to ensure we’re protecting the residential area but also allowing the developer to make the most out of what he wants to do with his lands.”
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