A local developer has requested a change to the town of Sackville planning bylaw which impacts the size of lots required on either end of townhouse-style developments, or what Plan 360 calls “vertically attached dwelling units”.
According to the Sackville zoning bylaw, vertically attached dwellings are buildings with two to six units sharing common walls, with each unit having independent front and rear entrances, each on its own subdivided property, and each having separate sewer and water connections.
Sometimes called rowhouses or townhouse style development, the units create a bit more density than single detached houses, and can also be more energy efficient for homeowners.
Plan 360 planner Jenna Stewart came before Tantramar council recently to tell them about an application to make it a bit easier to building vertically attached units in Sackville. The former town’s zoning bylaw currently requires that each rowhouse development have a lot on either end which is about double the size of the inside lots in the row. Developer Artie Kenny has applied to reduce that requirement.
As it now stands, outside lots for vertically attached buildings must have 15 meters of frontage, and be at least 464 square metres. The proposed amendment would reduce the minimum frontage required to 10 meters, and the minimum area to just over 300 square metres.
Kenny won’t disclose the location of his planned townhouse-style development until the project is further along the planning approval path.
Stewart says that although Kenny applied to make the change, the issue with outside lots for vertically attached developments has been flagged by Plan 360 before, and the planner is recommending in favour of the amendment.
“It is in line with the municipal plan policy,” says Stewart. “It would encourage more vertically attached dwellings by reducing what is, in a way, the barrier associated with this type of development.” Stewart says the change would also put Sackville’s bylaw “more in line with other other municipalities in the region.”
Before it’s approved, the text amendment will go the Southeast Planning Review and Advisory Committee, and come to Tantramar council for a public hearing and three readings of the bylaw.
