Charlottetown council approves controversial 41-unit Pine Drive apartment building

A controversial plan to construct a 41-unit apartment building on Pine Drive in Charlottetown received the green light Monday night.

Charlottetown city council went against the recommendations of its own planning board, which recommended the city reject the proposal. The city had received a number of letters from residents opposed to the project.

Charlottetown Coun. Greg Rivard chairs the planning committee andsays he struggled with how to vote. In the end, Rivard went against his own planning board and voted for the project.

"I looked at the pros and cons of this project," Rivard told CBC News following the meeting.

"I decided to side with approving it based on the fact that we do have a housing concern in Charlottetown, but not only that. We talked about integrating density and different housing types into established neighbourhoods, giving residents an option that if they want to move out of their homes that they have options to move into places like this."

Pine Drive runs off Mount Edward Road near Sherwood Elementary School.

Almost 10 years in the making

The development is a partnership between APM Commercial and Bevan Brothers andhas a long history. The developers have been trying to build amultiple-unit buildingin one form or another on the property since 2012.In 2016 a proposed 27-unit apartment complex was rejected by the city. The developers went to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission. IRAC upheld the city's decision.

Developers then returned with the bigger project, but this time on a larger piece of land.

Rivard said the issue was the size and scale of the project in an area that currently consists mainly of single-family homes. But he said the developers were able to address some of those concerns by purchasing a plot of land next to the proposed development, moving the building back on the lot, and adding underground parking.

"It kind ofticked off some of the concerns that were identified by staff and by IRAC, but again it didn't tick them all off because massing and scale is still certainly an issue," said Rivard.

In the end, five councillors Terry MacLeod, Alanna Jankov, TerryBernard, Mike Duffy and Rivard supported the project going ahead.Three councillors Mitchell Tweel, Jason Coady and Kevin Ramsay voted against it.

Two councillors,Bob Doiron and Julie McCabe, were in a conflict of interestand left the room for the vote.

Townhouse, apartment complex also approved

City councilalso went against its planning board for a second major development, this one on Trainor Street.

Trainor Street fronts on Malpeque Road near the bypass highway.

Developers plan to construct three buildings, with a combination of townhouses and apartments. Each building would have 20 units for a total of 60 units.

Rivard said planning board staff recommended the projectbut the planning board itself voted against it, citing concerns about traffic in the area.

Council voted 7-3 to approve,which Rivard noted supported staff's recommendation.

More from CBC P.E.I.