Council Approves Moncton Apartment Project
MONCTON – Moncton City Council voted unanimously to support a developer’s plans to bring 30 apartments to 84 MacAleese Lane.
Council approved a request from Deborah Anne Magee to build a three-storey, 30-unit apartment on land she owns near Elmwood Drive. The approval came after a public consultation, following the proposal’s second and third readings.
Three people penned objections to the Ward 1 development, which were highlighted during a consultation period at city council’s February 6 regular meeting. Concerns ranged from pedestrian access matters to property values and peace and quiet in the neighbourhood.
One objector, who lives directly next to the land, was concerned about living next to a “towering” building. They noted that they “live in a neighborhood with houses” because they want privacy, quiet, and “as much nature around me as possible.”
“Another 30-unit building being added to the area will not only be an eyesore in the area, where there are largely single-family dwelling homes, but it will also cause a lot of congestion and great loss of privacy for the people who already live in the area,” the objector said.
RELATED: Apartment Building Proposed For Moncton Ward One
Another objector was concerned the development could be harmful to the large, mature trees on her property, which serve as a cover from noise and pollution from nearby industrial activity.
City staff responded to the concerns during the hearing, stating that the property is well-connected to existing infrastructure. Staff also said the plan calls for the preservation of most of the trees on site and has a detailed drainage plan.
Staff noted that the development abides by rules set out in its bylaws and said the building will have minimal impact on the surrounding, lower-density housing.
Rino Savoie, a representative of the landowner, said the developer has been working with city planners to make sure the development was appropriate for the location.
“We went back and forth many times,” Savoie said.
“It’s 30 units; some might think it’s a lot of units but if you look at the size of the buildings, 102 feet long and 64 feet wide — if you compare that to regular units around town being built, it’s about a 12-apartment building, size-wise,” he added.
Savoie suggested that traffic and population impacts would be similar to smaller apartment developments in the city. He argued the lower price point could mean fewer people with vehicles.
Savoie, who cited 15 years of experience building in Greater Moncton, told council that rent for the new apartments will be between $950 and $1,250 a month and that there is a need for more affordable apartments in the city.
He told council he expects the construction to take about eight months from start to finish.
He also took issue with the requirement to build a two-meter, opaque fence along the property line abutting 60 MacAleese Lane. He argued leaving the trees intact would be enough.
However, Savoie eventually told council he was satisfied and is ready to comply with the conditions.
Conditions also included provisos that the fence not be chain link, that it be installed no later than six months after the building goes up, and that existing vegetation east of the main building not be disturbed.
Apartments in the building will be about 500 square feet and will each open onto a six-by-sixteen-foot patio.
The land was rezoned from R2 (two-unit dwelling) to R3 (multiple-unit dwelling) to make the project possible.
Sam Macdonald is a Huddle reporter in Moncton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].