ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A proposed residential development in front of The Rooms is expected to undergo further public consultation after the developer revised its plans this year.
Last year, heritage advocates and downtown residents expressed concerns about the 40-unit, high-end residence proposal, which they said might compromise the Ecclessiastical District and destroy the little natural green space remaining in the downtown area, among other concerns.
The proposal is back on St. John’s city council’s agenda for Tuesday, with staff recommending further public consultation in light of the revisions. Council will vote on that at the meeting.
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According to documents in the agenda, 40 residential units remain in the revised design, but the apartment building on Queen’s Road is changed to townhouses. Also, the building on Harvey Road is rotated 90 degrees so it is narrower along the road and goes back deeper into the property.
Agenda documents also say the applicant originally proposed to restore the 19th-century house at the western end of the property, and incorporate the Parish Hall’s archway into the new building. However, in the revised drawings, the applicants only propose to restore the residence, and suggest using materials from the hall in an interpretive sculpture on the site.
Here’s what the city’s built heritage experts panel (BHEP) had to say about that: “As Cathedral Parish Hall is a designated heritage building and the arch is a character-defining element, (the BHEP) believe that there should be a stronger commitment to preserve, retain and use the existing arch in the new design,” reads city documents. “They recommend that the original materials of the archway should be incorporated into the new design in the original arrangement. Otherwise, they recommend that the arch remain in its current location.”
The documents indicate that the proponent disagrees.
“(The developers) state that the archway was not considered an important item in the public sessions and that it does not translate well into the smaller-scale townhouse massing that was suggested in their public consultations. The applicants have digitally recorded the structure and propose to incorporate salvageable pieces of it into the interpretive sculpture.”
Once city staff review the changes, the plans will be released for public input. City staff recommend advertising the proposal and sending a notice to nearby property owners. After that initial public consultation, the application will come back to council. Council will then appoint an independent commissioner to hold a public hearing.
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