A 104-unit residential development is being proposed at the Golden Mile Billiards site in west Saint John.
But members of Common Council are torn on whether to attach a deadline for when construction should begin.
The two-building development is being proposed at the corner of O’Brien Street and Wilson Street.
Each of the four-storey buildings would have 50 units, and there would four “live-work” units in one of the buildings.
“We are excited to bring this project to the west side of Saint John. West Saint John is in dire need of rentals,” Farris Kathrada, one of the two British Columbia-based developers behind the project, told council on Tuesday.
Kathrada and his partner, Jordan Van Thiel, have already received approval from the city’s planning advisory committee (PAC).
As part of their approval, PAC members recommended a five-year “sunset clause,” meaning the developers must apply for building permits within five years of the date the rezoning comes into effect.
However, city staff said they are not in support of a sunset clause, with senior city planner Mark Reade saying it is not necessary for this project.
“We don’t really consider this to be a speculative development,” Reade told members of council during the meeting.
“Given some of the pressures that developers are experiencing with respect to supply chain issues, trades and interest rate increases, staff do not feel that this is a good idea with respect to encouraging the timely completion of this development.
Van Thiel agreed, noting the costs the developers have incurred so far should speak to their commitment to this project.
“I think we’ve provided a significant amount of information already with our architect’s drawings and having the traffic survey and the environmental survey,” he said.
The developers said if council decides to require a sunset clause, they would be OK with seven to 10 years.
Coun. Gerry Lowe said he is in favour of a sunset clause because a number of recently-approved projects have yet to see shovels in the ground.
“I can name 300 units here in the city that have gone through PAC, have gone through council, and there’s never been a building permit for them,” said Lowe.
City council approved the first and second reading of the proposed rezoning during Tuesday’s council meeting.
A recommendation about a sunset clause will come back to council for the third reading at a later meeting.
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