New home in Battery, overnight construction voted on by council
Amendments passed on multiple bylaws
Council voted to change five bylaws in its most recent public meeting on July 9.
A change to the commercial maintenance bylaw brings in regulations related to vacant commercial buildings, including giving the city the ability to secure unsecure vacant buildings, regulate the materials used to board them up, and regulate securing them.
The electrical and plumbing bylaws were amended to streamline and make more efficient the process by which certification of licensed plumbing and electrical contractors, electrical engineers, and mechanical engineers are accepted by the city.
The electrical bylaw changes also take into account the 2024 Canadian Electrical Code.
Changes to the open-air fire regulations updates and regulates the use of modern outdoor wood-burning appliances and ensures that the fire department can enforce open-air fires while still allowing people to be able to have outdoor fires should the conditions allow.
The section exempting outdoor grills and barbecues from such a prohibition was also repealed so the fire department can judge whether it is appropriate to allow the use of such equipment on a case-by-case basis.
The sign bylaw was changed to make the placement of signs, causing the signs to be placed (i.e. directing an employee to place signs) or a failure to remove signs violations of the bylaw.
Currently, the language of the bylaw requires an i nspector to view a party placing the signs on the utility poles, and the change makes it easier for an inspector to issue a notice letter requesting a party remove the signs, and should they fail to do so, can charge the party with a failure to remove the signs.
Vote: 9-0-0
DECKS IN WATERSHED GET THUMBS UP, BUILDINGS GET THUMBS DOWN
Council had three applications for building in the watershed and watershed buffer, one of which was granted, and some denied.
A request to build decks for new projects at 49, 55 and 57 Leonard J. Cowley Street was voted in, but requests for new buildings in the watershed in Portugal Cove-st. Philip’s were denied. One was at 116 Bennett’s Road and the other at 66 King’s Hill. In the case of the King’s Hill application, the applicant was proposing a second dwelling on the property based on purported historic records that showed two residential buildings previously on the property. Since the city does not allow the construction of new dwellings on vacant land within the watershed, both requests were denied.
Vote: 9-0-0
NEW PROJECT ON COCHRANE POND ROAD PROCEEDS
Council approved a discretionary use application and zone standards for a single detached dwelling to allow the subdivision of land for proposed development at 33-37 Cochrane Pond.
Dwellings are a discretionary use in the Agriculture Zone, as it is not directly associated with an Agriculture or Forestry Use and the Land Development Advisory Authority, under the Provincial Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture also gave approval for the proposed development.
Vote: 9-0-0
OVERNIGHT CONSTRUCTION ON COLUMBUS DRIVE
Council approved overnight construction on Columbus Drive on the Kenmount Road overpass for one night between July 11 and July 31, with the specific date not known at this time and will rely on weather conditions and the contractor’s schedule.
Typically, overnight construction has not been common in the city, due to the noise caused by construction and the effect this would have on nearby residents as well as increased costs typically associated with overnight work. In this case, the work to be completed overnight generally includes the installation of pipe across Columbus Drive, which traditionally causes traffic congestion due to the amount of equipment required to complete the work coupled with the volume of traffic on Columbus Drive. Council granted an exemption to the city’s noise bylaw for the Columbus Drive work during the hours of 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Vote: 9-0-0nd
NEW HOME COMING TO BATTERY?
Approval was given to redevelop a non-conforming dwelling at 4A Middle Battery Road. The site was previously developed, and a portion of the old foundation still exists on the property, which is where the new building is being proposed.
Vote: 9-0-0
PARKING RELIEF FOR YOGA ON O’LEARY AVENUE
Magicstorm Events Inc. submitted an application for relief of 14 parking spaces for its proposed health and wellness centre, which will be offering yoga classes, at 22 O’leary Avenue. Since the building already includes a restaurant, bakery, storage, and laundry facility, 62 parking spaces would be required in total once the yoga classes get up and running. There are 48 parking spaces available for the building. The rationale for relieving parking is based on the fact that it is near the Avalon Mall and is located on a bus route. Coun. Ron Ellsworth removed himself from discussion or voting on the application since he is in a conflict of interest.
Vote: 8-0-1
DASH-CAM CONTRACT
Samsara Inc. was awarded a contract for video telematics for $255,894.64 (HST included). Samsara was one of three bidders on the contract but the other two, Air Automotive Tracking Inc. and Hitech Communications, were disqualified. The contract is for three years, plus the possibility of three one-year extensions.
Vote: 9-0-0
MEDIUM-DUTY DUMPTRUCKS CONTRACT
Avalon Ford Sales was awarded a $221,464 contract to provide two medium-duty dumptrucks to replace existing fleet vehicles. Cabot Ford Lincoln Sales Limited and
Hickman Chrysler also bid on the contract, but both were disqualified. The delivery of both trucks is required within 22 weeks
Vote: 9-0-0
BUILDING CODES ENERGY PERFORMANCE
City council approved a contract to SSG for $167,576 to detail a pathway that addresses the local direct and indirect financial implications of the adoption of energy performance tiers of the National Building Code of Canada 2020 and National Energy Code for Buildings 2020 over time.
Coun. Tom Davis said he wants to applaud staff for bringing the matter forward, and one of the biggest challenges the city faces is building for the present, not for the future.
“This study, I hope, will give us some good guidance, especially the building part of the process, so we can help the residents afford the homes we build now in the future,” Davis said.
Vote: 9-0-0
TOWNHOUSES IN GOULDS
Council voted to consider rezoning 231 Main Road in Goulds from the Residential 1 (R1) Zone to the Residential 3 (R3) Zone to allow four townhouses. Since the property is in the Residential District of the Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan, a Municipal Plan amendment is not required, but townhouses are not permitted in the R1 Zone and therefore rezoning is required. Now that council has voted to consider the amendment, public consultation will occur after an acceptable site plan is received. Since a Municipal Plan amendment is not required, there would be no commissioner’s public hearing and the public notification would be the only opportunity for public review.
Vote: 9-0-0
DEVELOPMENT ON GROVES ROAD
Council voted to consider rezoning 55 Groves Road from the Rural Residential Infill (RRI) Zone to the Residential 2 (R2) Zone to allow 20 singledetached dwellings, which would require a Municipal Plan amendment.
There are two parcels of land proposed for development, both owned by the city. One parcel was sold to the city in the past by the applicant, who signed an agreement with the right to first refusal for reacquiring the land. The other parcel is additional city-owned land that the applicant has requested to purchase to enable the proposed development.
The applicants are the same people who developed the residential neighbourhood immediately south, along Seaborn Street.
According to the staff note on the application, there was interest in developing along Groves Road at that time, but some neighbours there opposed serviced residential development, wishing to remain more rural on large unserviced lots.
The applicants then turned over the remaining land to the city with the right of first refusal to reacquire it. They now propose to extend municipal water and sewage services to the site and upgrade this section of Groves Road.
Now that council has voted to consider the rezoning, it requires a satisfactory site plan. Once that is received, council would then have to refer the application to public notification, as the application will require a commissioner’s public hearing later in the amendment process.
Vote: 9-0-0
REVISED CLADDING FOR FIRST LIGHT BUILDING
First Light St. John’s Friendship Centre Inc. was given approval for revised cladding material for 40 Quidi Vidi Road. The building has brick cladding, which the non-profit wants to change to a fibre cement panel system. Council previously approved the redesign of 40 Quidi Vidi Road as part of the rezoning completed in 2023 and the design was exempt from heritage design standards because the applicant is a registered charitable organization. Interior demolition has started, which has allowed the applicant to assess the condition of the existing wall assembly and discover the existing brick has structural issues. The wall does not have a rainscreen and was attached directly to concrete block walls, which has led to water damage to the structure’s steel columns. Therefore, a self-adhered air barrier and a rainscreen wall with a fibrecement panel system laid out in a shingle-style pattern is proposed to cover the brick and prevent this from happening again.
Vote: 9-0-0