A plan to replace one Old Town home with two is drawing warnings from neighbours who say a much larger building footprint could worsen drainage on a block they describe as already wet.
The proposal for 189 William St. would split the property into two roughly equal lots and demolish the existing home. Two single-detached homes could eventually be built, with up to 45 per cent lot coverage on each — above the 33 per cent normally allowed there.
“The current house, by the way, it has about 7 per cent lot coverage,” said Michael Fox, who lives around the corner and chairs Friends of One Mile Creek.
Three Niagara-on-the-Lake residents spoke at a public meeting last Tuesday, with drainage and the changing character of Old Town dominating their concerns.
Fox said he is not opposed to splitting the lot, but questioned why the town should allow the higher coverage.
He said his concern is simple: the more of a property that is covered by roofs, pavement and other hard surfaces, the less rainwater can soak into the ground.
“The concern is that when you make an increase from 33 to 45 there should be a good rationale for it. I haven’t found it in this application so far,” Fox said.
Sue Sherk, a lifelong NOTL resident who lives on the same block, described the area as “very wet” and said groundwater and natural drainage routes are her biggest concern.
“This is not an argument against change, but rather a plea for respect for our very special town,” she said. “Bylaws cannot be our only consideration if we want to keep our unique character.”
Deb Stevens, who recently moved to William Street and came forward from the gallery, questioned the scale of the future homes after hearing the applicant say the property owner and potential buyer are considering one to 1.5-storey dwellings.
“There is a difference in what is in the report and what he’s saying now,” she said. “I believe in the report it indicated that the two dwellings concept drawings were going to be one story.”
“There’s a difference between one storey in our neighbourhood and 1.5.”
The applicant’s planner, Max Fedchyshak of NPG Planning Solutions, said the extra coverage would extend farther into the lots rather than make the homes wider along the street.
He said more than a third of each lot would still be available for yards, trees and water to soak into the ground.
Jordan Frost, the town’s director of public works and infrastructure, told councillors drainage calculations would account for whatever lot coverage is ultimately approved.
If the system cannot handle the resulting runoff, staff would say so.
No decision was made Tuesday. Staff are still reviewing the application and will return to council with a recommendation.
