City Council Meeting Recap: March 25, 2025

Rezoning: 75 Lady Anderson Street

An application has been submitted to rezone 75 Lady Anderson Street from Residential Reduced Lot (RRL) to Residential 1 (R1) to allow parking and an outdoor play area for a daycare at 175 Ladysmith Drive. The daycare will be in a mixed-use building with residential apartments. These uses are already permitted in the existing Commercial Neighbourhood (CN) Zone at that location.

The RRL Zone does not allow parking lots or child care centres, so rezoning to R1 is requested, where these uses are discretionary. If approved, the two properties will be consolidated, with most of the site zoned CN and a portion zoned R1. The proposal aligns with the Municipal Plan’s policy to accommodate daycare services in residential areas.

A land use report (LUR) is typically required for rezoning, but staff recommend accepting a staff report instead due to the small scale of the change. If Council proceeds, public notification (but not a public meeting) will be required, as the R1 zoning is compatible with the surrounding residential neighbourhood.

Decision: Approved unanimously.

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Rezoning: 7 Waterford Bridge Road

Council considered rejecting Envision St. John’s Development Regulations Amendment Number 49, 2025, to rezone 7 Waterford Bridge Road from Residential 1 (R1) Zone to Apartment 2 (A2) Zone. This rezoning is necessary to allow the redevelopment of the existing house into a six-unit apartment building. The applicant has consolidated property from 9 Waterford Bridge Road to meet the side-yard requirement for the A2 Zone.

Public Consultation:

• Public Meeting: Held on March 5, 2025, with 19 attendees.

• Main Concerns:

  1. Traffic: Residents raised concerns about traffic, the narrow street, and safety. However, Transportation Engineering reviewed the proposal and raised no concerns.

  2. Population Density: Some residents worried about increased density and future development. Staff clarified that future development will be processed according to regulations, with no public consultation required for permitted uses.

  3. Heritage Features: Concerns were raised about alterations to the building, but the property is not a Heritage Building and is not in a Heritage Area, so the Heritage By-Law does not apply.

Next Steps:

It is recommended that Council adopt the amendment and forward it to the NL Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs for registration. Additionally, the land use report from January 29, 2025 should be adopted.

Decision: Motion to reject the amendment was approved unanimously.

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Rezoning: 34 New Cove Road

Council reviewed Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan Amendment Number 16, 2024, and Development Regulations Amendment Number 48, 2024, for a 10-storey apartment building at 34 New Cove Road.

Key Details:

• Rezoning: From Institutional (INST) Zone to Apartment 3 (A3) Zone.

• Amendments: The Municipal Plan requires a redesignation to Residential District, and Development Regulations require changes to allow exemption from a building stepback.

• Parking Relief: The applicant requests 111 spaces instead of 117.

Public Hearing & Concerns:

Held on February 12, 2025, with 45 attendees. The main concerns were:

1. Traffic – A traffic study indicated peak-hour trips would decrease, so no further analysis was needed.

2. Parking – Public worried about overflow parking. Staff recommend approving the 6-space parking relief due to transit access, bike parking, and nearby amenities.

3. Building Stepback – Concerns about the building’s height and impact on neighbouring homes. The commissioner recommends maintaining the stepback requirement, but staff leave this to Council’s discretion.

Commissioner’s Recommendations (9 Total):

• Approve rezoning and Municipal Plan amendments.

• Require stepback compliance if the project proceeds.

• Approve parking relief.

• If approved, ensure the building does not project above a 45-degree angle from side/rear lot lines above 12 metres.

Staff agree with all recommendations except enforcing the building stepback, which remains a Council decision.

Decision: 8 approved, Deputy Mayor O'Leary and Councillor Davis rejected.

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Zone Lines: 27 Nil's Way

The Chief Municipal Planner interpreted the zone lines for the property at 27 Nil’s Way. The property was rezoned from Industrial General (IG) Zone to Industrial Commercial (IC) Zone under Envision St. John’s Development Regulations Amendment No. 23, 2023. However, a discrepancy was identified between the property and zone lines, particularly at the southern end, where the zone line shifted from IC to IG.

According to Section 10.3 of the Development Regulations, zone boundaries that follow property lines should align with the lot lines. As such, the zone lines between IC and IG will be interpreted to follow the southern property boundary of 27 Nil’s Way, making the entire property fall within the IC Zone. This adjustment will also be reflected on the Municipal Plan map for the Commercial and Industrial District boundary.

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Exterior Renovations: 28 Cochrane Street

Council approval is sought for exterior renovations to 28 Cochrane Street, a designated Heritage Building in Heritage Area 2.

The applicant proposes replacing two rear windows with new vinyl windows of the same size and style, with heritage-style trims matching those on the York Street façade.

As per the St. John’s Heritage By-Law, window replacements must maintain the original style, size, and configuration in keeping with the building’s architectural characteristics. The proposal meets the City's Heritage Design Standards and is recommended for approval.

Decision: Approved unanimously.

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