On Tuesday, Tantramar residents will have an opportunity to weigh in on two proposed zoning by-law changes that, if approved, would make way for a six-storey building next to Mount Allison’s Normandy Field, and overlooking the Sackville Waterfowl Park. The public hearings on the changes take place during council’s Committee of the Whole meeting at 3pm Tuesday at Sackville town hall.

Local developer John Lafford is proposing to build a 71-unit apartment building behind the historic Fisher House at 131 Main Street. Currently, the property is not zoned for apartment buildings, and so Lafford has applied to rezone a portion of the property to the R3 zone which allows for larger apartment buildings. But the R3 zone alone is not enough for the project to go forward. Lafford has also requested an amendment to the R3 zone, changing the allowable building height from 50 feet to 65 feet. If that amendment is approved, it will affect all R3 properties in Sackville, including over 100 acres of other properties located outside the downtown core, mostly surrounded by single residential zones.

On Tuesday, Plan 360 planner Lori Bickford will make presentations on the two proposed amendments, and then members of the public will have a chance to weigh in, with five minutes allowed for each speaker. Members of council will have the opportunity to ask questions, in order to make sure they understand both the application and any arguments in favour or against.

John Lafford says his company’s engineers and architects “had to produce a lot of documents” for the planning commission, including renderings of what the building would look like in context, and a site plan showing setbacks, parking and other elements. Those documents are expected to be part of Plan 360’s presentation on Tuesday, but have not been made available before the public hearing.

Concerns over wetlands and flood risk

The view from the Waterfowl Park, with the rear of the current 131 Main building visible in the centre of the frame. Photo: Erica Butler

Some residents have expressed concerns over Lafford’s plan for a six storey building so close to the Waterfowl Park. Meredith Fisher submitted a letter outlining some of her concerns and those she’s heard from neighbours and friends. “It’s big,” says Fisher, and “it’s in the wrong place.”

“We have nothing against the developer,” says Fisher. “There’s nothing against development at all. It’s just got to be the right thing.”

Fisher owns a building on Rectory Lane and is concerned that the 60 foot tall building next door could affect her tenants. She was also opposed to development on the site the last time it was proposed, in 2014, by then-owner Gordon Beal. One of her main concerns is the location of the building so close to the Waterfowl Park, and partly in Sackville’s flood risk zone.

Screencap from New Brunswick’s flood hazard mapping. The purple shows present day 1 in 20 year risk of flooding, and the pink shows future risk for 2100, based on current projections of sea level rise. The property in the centre of the image is 131 Main Street.

“Climate change is certainly telling us to not build buildings on floodplains or near wetlands,” says Fisher. “I believe that was one of the reasons why it was turned down by council when [Beal] applied.”

Lafford says the development plan takes the flood risk zone into consideration, as there are no living units on the ground level, with apartments meeting the elevation required for Sackville’s estimated 1 in 100 year flood risk, which has yet to be presented to council by Plan 360 for adoption. (New flood risk mapping was due to be presented to council for adoption before the pandemic and has been postponed indefinitely, along with the review of Sackville’s zoning plan.

Carriage house to remain, says Lafford

Another big concern of Fisher’s and other residents, like Sharon Hicks and Percy Best, who have also distributed detailed concerns about the project, is the future of the historic carriage house which sits on the potentially rezoned portion of the property. Fisher says she’s concerned the carriage house would need to be demolished to make way for a wider driveway to access the building in the rear, but Lafford says that’s not part of the plan, and the carriage house will remain.

One of Lafford’s main arguments in favour of the large project is the current very low vacancy rate in Sackville, which has left the rental housing market open to extreme price increases by real estate investors. Fisher says she agrees there’s a housing shortage, but she feels 131 Main is not the place for density in Sackville.

“There’s no question, there is a need for housing,” says Fisher, but “there are other places that he could put larger buildings that would be more appropriate than here on this beautiful, historic property.” 131 Main is listed on Canada’s register of historic properties, but is not protected by any municipal by-laws.

“I keep visualizing a very large building that has no heritage character, looming over the landscape kind of thing, which I think would be a shame,” says Fisher.

Lafford says he will be at the public hearing on Tuesday to speak on his proposal, and he feels positive about his chances heading into the meeting. ”It’s everybody’s right to have a home and right now, we don’t have any to offer,” says Lafford. “We’re pretty confident.”

Meredith Fisher will also be there on Tuesday to summarize her concerns for the new Tantramar council. “I think we need to look closely at the vision for the future of the town,” says Fisher, “and how we want it to be for our next generations. Do we want it to be a place where there are big apartment buildings? I don’t think so. But there are still possible places to put housing… It still can be done thoughtfully, I believe.”

The public hearing on the zoning amendments that would make way for the building is on Tuesday, June 27 at 3pm, during council’s committee of the whole meeting at Sackville town hall.