No to urban sprawl, says councillor

Klock Road house hits planning snags

Laurent Robillard-Cardinal

A new home is on the verge of seeing the light of day at 941 Klock Road, just north of Pink Road and outside the urbanisation perimeter. The construction is a single-family dwelling of 226 m² with a detached garage of 186 m²; but for the project to go forward council first needs to approve multiple minor variances.

Mike Duggan, Lucerne councillor, does not particularly like the project and could vote against certain variances. “This amounts to urban sprawl. I attended the recent advisory planning committee meeting as the builder is requesting several variances, and I am opposed to allowing a larger garage,” Mr. Duggan told The Bulletin.

Some of variances for the garage include increasing its height from 4.5 m to 6 m and increasing the height of the two doors from 2.5 m to 3.7 m. This is because the proposed garage, built behind the home, will store recreational vehicles and maintenance equipment. Even if it will be 70 m away from the street and barely visible to the passerby, the committee voted against allowing the increase in the floor space of detached accessory buildings from 80% to 83%.

The builder is also requesting minor variances for the main building. One of these is to reduce the home’s front setback from 78 m to 30 m. According to city documents, it is practically impossible to meet the front setback of 78 m and the rear setback of 10 m on a lot 89 m deep. The proposed 30 m front setback is justified by the size and the lot’s configuration and by Klock Road’s streetscape, explained the advisory planning committee.

Another variance is to exempt the builder from using a Class 1 or 2 exterior siding. According to the plans, the applicant wants to build a log house which does not accommodate masonry. The garage will have wood siding.

Furthermore, according to city documents, the land cleared should only be enough for future buildings, a septic tank, and for the passageways on the lot. On top of keeping forested strips around the property, the owner must also plant 18 additional trees. Construction costs are estimated at $300,000.