An apartment building planned for development on Avon Road in Deep River is facing stiff opposition from nearby residents.
The town held a public meeting last week, in accordance with the Planning Act, to garner input on a zoning bylaw amendment which would rezone the property from “Residential 2” to “Residential 3 – Exception 3.”
The rezoning would allow for construction of a three-storey, nine-unit “row-stacked dwelling” with underground parking.
The proposed amendment would also reduce the width of the town’s interior side yard requirement from three metres to 1.2 metres and would further reduce the number of required parking spaces from 14 to 10.
The property in question is a green space formerly owned by Faith Lutheran Church.
The town identified it for development during a review of surplus properties and sold it to a private developer last year.
Council chambers were packed with people voicing a number of reasons why they don’t want the apartment building in their neighbourhood.
Among them was Richard Birchall, who cited his Indigenous ancestry from the west coast, and said the building would block his view of the sun from his backyard.
“I treasure my backyard,” Birchall told council.
“I treasure that I can look out and see the setting sun and remember my mother. This proposed zoning amendment changes all that. Instead of looking into the west I will be looking at a three-storey apartment building that’s disproportionate to the size of the lot.”
Birchall went on to tell council that, due to the height of the building, it would serve as a “surveillance platform” negating his privacy.
“If this is approved, you will have lost trust and respect among many,” he told council…
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