Plans for a 96-unit development in Rothesay are being met with concerns from some local residents.
Town council held a virtual public hearing for the proposed Holland Hills development on Monday night.
Andrew Baskin is proposing to build two, six-storey buildings with 48 units each along Holland Drive, off Hampton Road.
“What we want to do is combine luxury and affordability,” Baskin said in a presentation during the hearing.
The buildings would include some two-floor townhouse-style apartments, which Baskin said does not currently exist in the town.
There would be a variety of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $1,200 to more than $3,000.
Developers have also agreed to provide 14 affordable two-bedroom apartment units between the two buildings for a 20-year period.
The base monthly rental rate in those units must be at or below 30 per cent of the median total income of lone-parent family households in Rothesay and can only be raised by a maximum of the Consumer Price Index.
Developers are also proposing a café, gym and salon in the building, with future considerations for amenities such as an outdoor pool, designed pet space, putting grees, gardens, and greenhouses.
“It would be probably the first of its kind around here where we combine multi-faceted living and give Rothesay something that it does not currently have,” said Baskin.
The development would be located close to several major commercial uses, such as Sobeys and Canadian Tire, and staff said its proximity to Hampton Road promotes pedestrian connectivity, reduces sprawl, and creates a more walkable neighbourhood.
But several residents raised concerns about the development, namely when it comes to increased traffic in their neighbourhood.
The proposal would see Chapel Road extended Holland Road but not through to Hampton Road. That means traffic to and from the development would be channelled along Chapel Road to the Marr Road intersection.
A traffic study found that while the proposed development would generate 522 daily trips, the intersection would remain below capacity and continue to perform efficiently overall.
The developer has agreed to help pay for traffic signals at the Chapel Road and Marr Road intersection if it is something the town wants to explore.
Rothesay resident Andrew Pollabauer said he is worried about the overall impact the development would have on current residents.
“What we’re essentially talking about here is redeveloping land that was zoned for single-family dwelling and bringing it up to one of the highest densities you could possibly have,” said Pollabauer.
The chief of the Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department, which serves Rothesay and Quispamsis, also provided his input on the proposed development.
Bill Ireland said the department faces challenges when responding to fires in mid-rise buildings, including a lack of deployment resources on the initial response, and difficulty moving personnel and equipment vertically to the fire area.
“The additional building height associated with this proposal exacerbates these challenges,” Ireland wrote in a report.
But he also noted that newly constructed mid-rise buildings are inherently safe and have fire protection systems installed to comply with the National Building Code.
Ireland recommended a series of additional fire protection requirements which are usually only required for taller buildings, such as ensuring that all elevators have manual emergency recall, and that the buildings are designed to include a means of venting smoke from each floor to help with firefighting efforts.
Town councillors will consider the rezoning request for the project at a later date.
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