A property located at 4 Ferguson Road, which has been the subject of ongoing property standards complaints over the years, may get a facelift.
Mark Ritchie, representing property owner Ed Broadbent, was before Huntsville’s Committee of Adjustment on Wednesday, September 13, asking for a reduction in the required setback from the railway right-of-way, which runs behind the property, from 30 to 10.1 metres . He said the owner, who uses a wheel-chair to get around, plans to redevelop the property with a sixplex.
“We’re hoping for approval on this variance application for a couple of reasons. First and foremost to give Ed a more comfortable, workable living space for his daily life and it would be also to provide a couple more housing units, which the Town really needs at this time and it’ll also force the cleanup of that area,” said Ritchie.
Deputy Mayor Karin Terziano and Councillor Jonathan Wiebe had questions about the building’s proximity to CN Rail. Town Planner Curtis Syvret told committee that initial consultation with CN Rail had taken place and they provided comment back as well as their principal mainland requirements, which include things like fencing, a potential noise study, the need to address storm water runoff, the requirement of restrictive covenants against the removal of safety features as well as the potential for an environmental easement in favour of railway. “We would ensure that CN is satisfied to site plan, and they didn’t outright object in the preconsultation,” he added.
Wiebe asked about the engineering of the proposed building due to its proximity to the railway and the impact things like vibration might have, to which Ritchie responded by saying that the entire building would be engineered to suit the site.
“I applaud this. I think it’s going to be good,” said Wiebe.
Councillor Bob Stone, who chairs the committee, said he had had many property standards complaints about that property. “It looks like a junk yard very often and I hope through site plan that we can’t expect more of the same.”
Committee approved the variance.
Preliminary drawing of the front of the sixplex being proposed.
4 Ferguson Road outlined in red.
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Thank you Tamara.
Thanks, Bob Stone for your comment! The one thing is that the property is way above the railroad right of way …so, CN, lighten up. It can’t be worse than the junkyard it is now.
Hi Ian, according to Town planning staff it does. The proposed development will still require formal planning approvals and will make its way to the Town’s Planning Committee, if the proponent wishes to proceed. This request was simply for a reduction to the required setback, which was granted by the Town’s Committee of Adjustment. Unlike decisions made by the Planning Committee, decisions made by the Committee of Adjustment do not have to be ratified by Huntsville Council.
Will this conform to the Towns and Districts official plan??????