Perth council received a planning report on June 9th for a proposed three-storey 30-unit apartment building at 53/55 Craig Street in the Town’s south end. The site was home to Perth’s first house; the Red House. The project would first require a re-zoning from Residential Density Level 3 to Level 4 Special Exception Zone.
In addition the builder was requesting eight variances. They wanted to reduce the minimum front yard setback from 6 m to 2.29 m, decrease the minimum landscaped open space from 35% to 23%, reduce the number of parking spaces from 45 to 30, and eliminate visitor parking altogether among other exceptions.
Town Planner Joanna Bowes was clear in her assessment of the application.
Bowes noted that in preliminary discussions with the builder and Town staff, staff suggested a much smaller building was more appropriate for the site.
Councillors and members of the public echoed her concerns as well as the traffic impacts on what Deputy Mayor Ed McPherson described as Lanark County’s busiest road; Craig Street/Hwy 43. Council’s committee voted to defer any decision on the application until it could be amended to meet current zoning regulations.
Story by Brian Turner
