A former salvage yard in the south end of St. Jacobs will be transformed into a small residential subdivision featuring 12 semi-detached homes.
The necessary zone change needed for the site at 1065 Old Scout Pl. was approved by Woolwich councillors meeting Tuesday night.
The one-acre site had been zoned agricultural and is now designated ‘mixed high density with design guidelines’ (R-5A). The project was also allocated municipal-servicing capacity for 39 residents.
Where property owner Old Scout Limited had originally sought to build townhouses on the site, concerns over water services and other costs eventually prompted the switch to semis, township planner David Gundrum explained.
Old Scout Limited also sought a number of modifications to the township’s guidelines for development, including a reduced lot width.
In developing the property, the owner will turn over a 3.3-metre strip along Old Scout Place to allow for the widening of the road.
Reviewing Gundrum’s report, Coun. Bonnie Bryant asked about plans to register on title for each of the lots a warning about “the potential for obnoxious odour.”
Gundrum noted that the clause was a catch-all given the site’s proximity to farmland.
“This development is right at the southern boundary of St. Jacobs. Right across the road are agriculturally zoned lands, active farm operations,” he explained.
