The City received an application from KMK Capital Inc. to rezone 34 New Cove Road from the Institutional (INST) Zone to the Apartment 3 (A3) Zone to enable the development of a new 10-storey Apartment Building, with a total of 107 residential units. Apartment Building is a Permitted Use in the A3 Zone. A Municipal Plan Amendment is also required to redesiginate the property from the Institutional District to the Residential District.
Section 7.1.4 Building Stepback of the Development Regulations requires the higher storeys of a Building, when located next to a Residential Zone, be stepped back so that the Building Height does not project above 45 degrees measured from the Rear and/or Side Lot Lines. KMK Capital Inc. has requested an exemption from Section 7.1.4 of the Development Regulations to allow the proposed Apartment Building without a Building Stepback. To enable an exemption, a text amendment to Section 7.1.4 Building Stepback of the Development Regulations is required. A text amendment to Section 4.9 Land Use Report is also required.
The applicant has prepared a Land Use Report for the proposed development which is under Documents.
Review the materials on this page and provide your feedback during the consultation period. Ask a question at any time while the application is active.
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Questions
Overall a welcome addition to the housing stock, but it's unfortunate that there no one has considered adapting the existing MAX building. Imagine just throwing away a facility with a gym, offices, community rooms, etc etc. instead of refurbishing it for tenants. City, province, and private developers here have an atrocious record on adaptive reuse. If the city was serious about climate change we would add a requirement that owners, when asking for demolition permits, calculate the embodied carbon sacrificed in the demolished building and in the new construction.
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Are there any plans to make this new development - or perhaps the general area - to be made into a mixed commercial-residential zone? We clearly need increased housing and I'm all for increasing density. However, doing so does also lead to an increase in demand for amenities such as groceries, services of all kinds, etc. I wonder what the city's strategy is to address this. But it feels like a higher-density apartment building like this could benefit from street-level amenities. Thanks
Thank you for your questions and comments. A commercial mixed zone was not considered for the subject property. However, a neighbourhood plan will be prepared for the Rennie's River Neighbourhood over the next year, which includes part of the surrounding area.
Thank you for your question. The previous consultation period has closed, which occurred in October/November 2024. This consultation is listed under Lifecycle as a reference.
A second phase of consultation is currently happening with a deadline for written comments on Monday, February 10, 2025.
Thank you for your question. Market analysis does not form part of the amendment process and did not form part of the terms of reference for the Land Use Report.
What rationale has the applicant provided to justify the exception to the setback requirements and how does it specifically balance against the right of privacy for neighbouring properties? What alternatives has the applicant presented that meet city guidelines?
The applicant's rationale to not meet the building stepback requirement is outlined on page 7 and 8 of the Land Use Report, which can be found under Documents.
I’m in favour of new, reasonably priced apartments in the city but I’m so discouraged by the exterior facade of many of these new developments. What sort of a process do these proposed designs have to go through to get approved? Are they brought to any sort of committee that can ensure the building aligns, even in a small way, with the look of the city? Why isn’t more consideration given to making new developments look timeless rather than something that will look outdated in 30 years, if not already? I understand we need housing and we need it fast, but there must be a way to build new developments that are more consistent with the cities look and history?
Thank you for questions and comments. The City has Heritage Design Standards that are applicable to designated Heritage Buildings and buildings in Heritage Areas. The Heritage Design Standards form part of the St. John's Heritage By-Law. Buildings must also comply with the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC), which may impact some design features like the placement or size of windows, non-combustible cladding materials, door placement, etc. However, aside from the NBCC requirements and the Heritage Design Standards, there are no exterior building design requirements.
Thank you for your questions. Once public consultation is complete, the amendment will go to Council for approval. At that time, Council will also make a decision on the number of parking spaces proposed taking into account the applicant’s rationale for parking relief, which is outlined in the Land Use Report, and any comments submitted by the public.
What impact did you calculate 107 new residential units would have on the capacity of services to satisfy the new demand, around the zone: - Public transport - Water - Power - Motor Transit performance - Security (police force personal availability) - Internet/phone (wired/cel) - etc.
Thank you for your question. The terms of reference for the Land Use Report can be found under Documents. The terms required the applicant to consult with St. John’s Metrobus, conduct a Traffic Impact Memo, and discuss municipal services. At the detailed design stage, consultation with NL Power will be required. Consultation with the RNC is not a requirement of the amendment process.
The applicant has indicated that rent is currently projected to range from $1,800 to $4,800 per month.
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