An artist rendering of what The Atlantic development on Lower Cove Loop would have looked like with metal siding. (Image submitted)
A local developer’s plans to install metal siding on a new 29-unit apartment building in Saint John’s south end have been kiboshed.
On Tuesday, planning advisory committee members rejected a variance for the building known as The Atlantic on Lower Cove Loop.
Mike Cavanagh, who is constructing the multi-unit development, recently began installing metal siding on the front and east sides of the building.
But that drew opposition from people living near the six-storey building, who were expecting to see cement panels installed instead.
While the initial design presented to PAC included cement panels as the primary cladding material on the front and east sides, the detailed elevation plans approved as part of the development and building permit replaced it with metal siding.
PAC received several letters from nearby residents opposing the metal siding, who described it as a “blight on the whole project and the neighbourhood” and said it makes the building “look much more like a warehouse in the middle of a residential neighbourhood.”
In a report to the committee, community planning manager Jennifer Kirchner said the applicant encountered “supply chain difficulties” leading to cost and delivery uncertainty for the cement panels.
“They indicated that they had knowledge of another project that utilized the cement panelling, which saw costs grossly exceed the original quote and delivery dates that were substantially delayed,” Kirchner wrote.
Kirchner said while metal cladding was approved for the sides of the building not facing the street, it is not one of the approved materials in this zone for the front and flankage sides.
Staff noted, however, that PAC has the authority to issue a variance to permit a broader range of materials on a site-by-site basis.
Kirchner recommended the committee approve the variance, indicating that metal siding “will have a limited impact on the overall design of the building,” but they rejected the recommendation in a 5-4 vote.
Our newsroom has reached out to Peter MacKenzie, the architect who spoke on behalf of Cavanagh during Tuesday’s meeting.
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