99 Symmes Street saga nears its close

The 99 Symmes Street file reached a crucial step during the April 12 city council meeting when councillors approved it all. The slow-moving file had made Bulletin d’Aylmer headlines, which triggered a reaction from the Deschênes Councillor and President of the Comité consultative d’urbanisme (CCU), Richard Bégin.

“Following the publishing of the article and a call from the owner, I contacted the Aylmer Heritage Association (AHA) and the Aylmer urban planning services in order to get the file moving,” explained Mr Bégin. “I had also brought it up at the CCU. I met with the owner, and then obtained an official letter of endorsement from the AHA; closing the file at the planning department finally brings it to the CCU. Everyone involved -- owner,  AHA and urban services -- collaborated in a remarkable way.”

The owners of the house had submitted their document to the Aylmer plannning department in June 2015, according to proper procedure. It wasn’t until January 21, 2016, that their file was completed. The owners had been worried about the safety of pedestrians walking near the unstable balcony.

Mr Bégin thought the delay could be due to the file’s complexity. In addition to the requests to demolish the balcony and to replace the home’s dormer, the house was also studied for a grant under heritage preservation. Furthermore, the owners needed to submit a minor variance request to change the exterior finish. All this work is also subject to the Architectural and Implementation and Integration Plan (AIIP) regulations for the neighbourhood.