An updated land use assessment report (LUAR) for the controversial proposed Queen’s Road development in St. John's is now available for public review.
The City of St. John’s is accepting public comments on the updated design which was changed following a public meeting in November and a stakeholder workshop in February. Information about further public consultation on the revised plan is expected to be announced by Sept. 1.
The proponent, Parish Lane Development, is proposing three new townhouses along Queen’s Road, a single-family home in the current parish residence which is undergoing restoration, and a 36-unit residential building along Harvey Road.
To do this, Parish Lane plans to remove the Cathedral Parish Hall, a municipal heritage structure.
“It has been heavily altered over the years, is in marginal condition, has a compromised structure, has a serious mould problem, and, in our opinion, does not have a viable ongoing use,” reads the LUAR.
The proponent says the Hall will be “deconstructed” — as opposed to demolished — in order to recycle, reuse or repurpose some of the materials.
That differs from the earlier proposal which used the term “demolition,” with components such as bricks and timbers to be reused.
Heritage advocates and downtown residents previously expressed concerns about the original proposal, which they said might compromise the Ecclesiastical District and destroy the little natural green space remaining in the downtown area.
But Parish Lane CEO Rick Pardy previously told The Telegram this new LUAR is “substantially revised.”
Some other changes include dropping and rotating the 36-unit building 90 degrees, therefore putting more space between it and nearby homes on Garrison Hill.
As well, the original proposal had a 14-unit apartment building at the front, facing Queen’s Road, which is now changed to three townhouses.
However, concerns related to the loss of the heritage structure and green space remain.
The Parish Hall and residence was built following the 1892 fire and for seven decades, the Hall was used as a school and gathering place.
It was damaged by fire in 1966 and was rebuilt in the 1970s, after which it was used for another five decades for church functions, as a dance school and for theatre productions.
Parish Lane acquired the property from the Anglican Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador in December 2019.
To read the complete LUAR, visit the city’s website under Public Notices.
To provide comments on the proposed development, email [email protected].
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