36-Unit Apartment Building Proposed In Rothesay

Plans for a new 36-unit apartment building in Rothesay are drawing opposition from some.

But it is not the development itself that many residents living nearby are taking issue with.

Rather, they are concerned about the town’s requirement to connect their street to one of the town’s busiest roads.

Brett Taylor, president of KV Properties, wants to rezone land in the area of Hampton Road and Woodland Avenue for the four-storey development.

Taylor’s initial plan was to build a single driveway from Hampton Road to be used as the entrance and exit for the complex.

After hearing concerns from the fire department about accessibility during an emergency, he proposed adding a second driveway off Woodland Avenue.

But town staff are now requiring that Woodland Avenue be connected to Hampton Road — which Taylor said would cost him about $100,000.

Joanne Godfrey, who lives on Woodland Avenue, spoke out against the extension during a public hearing on Tuesday evening.

“I agree that if it’s connected in any way to the Hampton Road, the community that we have on that street is going to change, and not for the better,” said Godfrey.

Godfrey said the development “will not really have any effect on her” unless Woodland Avenue is extended.

If that happens, she is concerned drivers may use it as a shortcut to get around heavy traffic on Hampton Road, similar to what currently happens on Scott Avenue.

“I see how fast they speed on Scott Avenue. If they’re turning left off the Hampton Road, more than likely it’s because they’re peeved because they’ve been sitting in traffic for a while, and they’re not going to be cautious of their speed. I’m afraid that some of the children are going to get hurt.”

Godfrey is not alone in her concerns. A total of 40 nearby residents have signed a petition against extending Woodland Avenue to Hampton Road.

They are also against using Woodland Avenue for the entrance and exit to the proposed complex.

Taylor said from a development standpoint, he does not think an extension of Woodland Avenue is needed for the project to go ahead.

“Whether or not the street is completed is really out of my hands,” he said. “This is town property and it is outside of my proposal boundaries.”

But town staff maintain the Woodland Avenue connection to Hampton Road is “directly necessary for the development.”

Staff note that vehicles exiting the development through the rear driveway on Woodland Avenue have no direct ability to get to Hampton Road.

The driveway for the building is also more narrow than usual, they said, meaning two-way traffic through the parking lot would be “difficult.”

Staff said the Woodlawn Avenue connection would increase response times for public safety and boost efficiency for public works.

No decisions about the rezoning application were made at Tuesday’s meeting. It will come back to council at a later date.