Plans for a new 40-unit apartment building along Hampton Road in Rothesay are facing opposition from some nearby residents.
Luke Moffett of Bespoke Residences Inc. wants to construct the four-storey building between Highland Avenue and Hillcrest Drive.
Nearly a dozen residents gave their input about the proposed rezoning during a public hearing on Monday night.
Christianne Vaillancourt, one of eight people who spoke out in opposition, said the building does not keep with the character of the neighbourhood.
“At four floors, the proposed apartment building is too high for the surrounding streets and completely changes the social fabric of the neighbourhood,” Vaillancourt told council during the hearing.
Other concerns raised by residents included increased traffic, lower property values, and privacy issues.
Chris Brewer lives on Hillcrest Drive and the proposed development would be located directly behind his house.
“There’s no mention of what’s going to be done to mitigate any of the privacy for our lot. The parking lot is directly behind our backyard looking straight into it,” said Brewer.
However, not everyone in attendance spoke against the proposal. Three people said they are in support of the development.
Mark Palmer said it would be a welcome addition, particularly for people like him looking to downsize.
“Unless you want to buy a single-family home, unless that’s your plan, there’s not a lot of options in Rothesay available,” said Palmer.
“I found us looking at all the new buildings in Saint John and really being attracted to them. They offer a lot for people for people who are looking to downsize. But we don’t want to live in Saint John. We’ve lived in Rothesay for 36 years, I’d like to stay in my own community.”
Mixed views from PAC, town staff
While the planning advisory committee is recommending that council approve the project, town staff are not on the same page.
Brian White, director of development, said the building will be too close to two existing homes on Hillcrest Drive that are currently part of the proposal.
“This is going to be a very large building, four stories, in very close proximity to the backyards. That is somewhat unprecedented in Rothesay,” said White.
His presentation to council noted that while the property in question is designated for high-density residential, this particular project “does not reinforce the character of the neighbourhood.”
It also said the project would increase the density on the property in a manner that would prove to be “too dense for the location.”
“We believe that this higher density is too intense for this neighbourhood and is a poor fit for our community,” said White.
White said staff would support the proposal if the two homes were removed from the plans, the building height was capped at three stories, and the building had a peaked roof design.
Developer responds
Moffett said the development would include four net-zero units powered by solar panels on the roof. By going with a more flat roof, he said, they would be able to tilt the panels to optimize solar energy.
The building would also have six affordable rental housing units and two barrier-free units, he said.
As for the two existing houses that are part of the project, Moffett said they are further away from the proposed apartment building than what is required.
“We understand there’s been some concerns around the privacy for those two homeowners, but just to clarify, we own those homes and we don’t have any concerns with the apartment building going up,” he said.
Moffett said he believes the project aligns with the town’s municipal plan and would be a benefit for the community.
“There’s still some differences between staff and us, but I think through the PAC process, we’ve compromised and we have a project that we’re really proud of,” he said.
Council will vote on the rezoning application at a later date.
