Controversial Charlottetown property proposal gets go-ahead

A controversial property proposal on the Charlottetown waterfront has finally received approval from the city. The property is located at Richmond and West streets and is owned by Larry and BeverleyDunville. The couple says they have been working with the city for three years to develop the narrow lot.

The proposal came up against pushback from some neighbours last year.

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Last year, theDunvillesapplied for a varianceto allow the distance between them and the adjacent property to be six feet under city regulations the rule is 19.5 feet. That application was voted down by council 6-2.

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But this new proposal does not require a variance and therefore doesn't need to be voted on by council.The new design was approved by the planning department.

In the planning department report the house is described as a two-storeysingle family home with a total of 3,276 square feet. The secondstoreywill protrude overthefirst level, on the side facing the street. The report goes on to say that the house doesintroduces a more modern buildingstyle to the neighbourhood but the planning department felt it still fit in with the city's urban plan.

The new house will affect some views for neighbours. Greg Rivard, Chair of the Planning Committee said the city understands that could be frustrating.

"We realize that this new construction has raised concerns in the area with regards to sight lines and modern design. While we recognize that this will take away sight lines looking down West Street, we also need to respect that the applicant has rights and in this case, they have [the]right to construct the home they have proposed," he said.

"The applicant is not seeking any variances and the property is zoned correctly."

TheDunvilleswere not available for comment on what their plans were going forward.