Norfolk County councilors have put off a decision on a proposed mixed-use, three-storey building at Norfolk Street South and Decou Road.
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Councilors, at a special council meeting on Wednesday (Sept. 4), voted to defer their decision until the next meeting of council scheduled for Sept. 17.
The deferral gives the proponent – The Ventin Group – time to come up with solutions to important problems raised by residents and councillors.
The proposal calls for the first floor of the building at 481, 487 Norfolk St. S. and 7 Decou Rd. to be commercial while the top two floors would be residential.
The county’s planning staff recommended approval of a zoning bylaw amendment. But several councilors spoke in opposition of the proposal citing concerns about the height of the building relative to the backyards of neighbors, safety concerns as well as a lack of clarity with respect to the number of residential units.
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“I will not be supporting this,” Coun. Mike Columbus said. “This is over development and it’s not compatible within that neighborhood.”
Coun. Alan Duthie also couldn’t support the proposal as it now stands.
“We’ve heard quite significantly from the community and I put a lot of stock and value into the comments they’re making with respect to their properties.”
Duthie said he believes there are also legitimate concerns with the impact the proposal would have on traffic in the neighborhood and pedestrian safety.
Putting a mixed-use building on that corner is the wrong approach for the community, Duthie said.
Prior to the discussion, councilors heard from Glenn Paquette, a resident, who said the development will back onto the backyards of the 13 nearby homes.
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Residents of those homes would be looking out on nothing but development and concrete, Paquette said.
“I just ask council to please consider, before voting, that if this was your property, where you lived for many years, what would you want?” Paquette said.
Others including councilors Tom Masschaele and Kim Huffman and Mayor Amy Martin also said they couldn’t support the proposal as it now stands.
“I struggle to pass a development file when there are so many unknowns,” Martin said. “The number of units being a big one (unknown).
“But for me, the biggest issues are the height of the building and the grading.”
Martin said it’s a shame to say no to something that could provide a lot of benefit. It’s also possible that some of the issues being raised might not even be factors if more was known about the grading of the property.
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The proponent wants the building to be 12 meters high – one meter higher than allowed by county requirements.
However, depending on the grading or preparation of the property prior to construction, the height may not be a factor in terms of impact on neighbors.
The proposal was about to be rejected by council when a spokesperson for MHBC Planning – representing The Ventin Group – asked if the issue could be deferred.
The motion to either approve or reject the proposal was pulled back and councilors then voted to put off a decision until Sept. 17.
WATERFORD
In other business, councilors on Wednesday approved plans to build two semi-detached homes on a Mechanic Street West property in Waterford.
Councilors voted in favor of a zoning bylaw amendment to authorize the project, which will create four residential units, to move forward.
The property is about 1,494-square-meters at the intersection of Mechanic Street West and Shadow Lake Lane. The surrounding neighborhood is primarily residential.
The plan is considered an infill project that will have a positive impact on assessing growth and tax revenues, county staff said in a report to council.
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