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City council approves controversial apartment building

EVAN CAREEN evan.careen@thetelegram.com @evancareen

St. John’s city council voted 9-1 to approve amendments paving the way for the second part of the contentious Parish Lane development.

In its regular council meeting on Monday, Oct. 3, council voted on the amendments to the municipal plan and development regulations, as well as approval of a 10 per cent variance on building height for Harvey Road. The only remaining step for approval of development would now be for the minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs to amend and approve an amendment to the St. John’s Urban Region Regional Plan.

Most of council commented on the application in the meeting, with more than one member saying it was the most extensively consulted development they can remember and they didn’t feel further engagement would bring forward any new information.

Ophelia Ravencroft was the only councillor to vote against the development, which would see an apartment building built on a vacant lot in the St. John’s Ecclesiastical District, a national historic site.

Ravencroft, who represents Ward 2, where the development is located, said while they had spoken with people on both sides of the issue, most of the feedback they received was opposing the development, not in favour of it.

“The fact is, I've had concerns about this development from the beginning,” Ravencroft told reporters after the meeting. “The reality is it's an incredibly complicated project. Its increased housing supply in the downtown with densification, but at the same time, it's also coming with a very significant amount of concern from some of the residents in the area, particularly around issues of heritage.”

Multiple public consultations had been held on the project, which received more than 600 pages of feedback over the last few years, as well as a petition opposing it that garnered over 4,000 signatures.

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2022-10-04T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-10-04T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281612424288809

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