4 apartment buildings proposed along Moncton's Vision Lands
Developer proposing buildings that would include commercial space and 366 residential units
Moncton council gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a developer's proposal for four six-storey buildings with a mix of apartments and commercial space along the edge of the Vision Lands.
Councillors voted unanimously in favour of first reading of a bylaw to rezone two properties along Leopold F. Belliveau Drive, off McLaughlin Drive. The vacant land on the north side of Leopold F. Belliveau Drive is owned by Noky Group Ltd., the developer behind the project.
The proposal is the latest high-density residential development proposed near McLaughlin Drive, where a new francophone school complex recently opened. The mini-building boom comes as the Moncton region continues to have one of Canada's fastest growing populations.
The Noky Group plans call for a total of 366 residential units and 373 square metres of ground-floor commercial space.
"That will create a hub in that area for not only the the neighbourhood itself, but for for students who are just looking maybe for somewhere to go during their lunch hours," Dylan Geldart, an urban planner with the City of Moncton, said of the commercial space.
Geldart said the city envisioned higher density where the four buildings are proposed, while the south side of the street would be lower density townhouses and homes.
Staff recommended the plans be approved with a condition that only two buildings can proceed initially. The other two could be constructed once Leopold F. Belliveau Drive is extended into the Vision Lands.
The Vision Lands cover about 1,400 acres between Mapleton Road, the Trans-Canada Highway, Wheeler Boulevard, Morton Avenue, and McLaughlin Drive.
The city has been updating its master plan for the Vision Lands, which staff have described as one the last major undeveloped areas of the city.
Geldart showed council a conceptual map of roads through the Vision Lands, noting there's no timeline for development.
The phased construction would be among the terms of a conditional zoning agreement with the developer if the rezoning is approved by council.
Another condition is for the developer to pay $20,000 toward new traffic lights at the intersection of Leopold F. Belliveau Drive and McLaughlin Drive, which are expected to be installed this summer.
The agreement also calls for a right-of-way through the development for a connection to a future municipal trail.
The bylaw that passed first reading Tuesday evening changes the zoning of the two parcels from integrated development and multiple unit dwelling to integrated development and conservation zone. The conservation zone would be along a wetland on the western portion of the land.
Integrated development zoning allows uses such as restaurants, shops, medical clinics, art galleries, daycare centres, microbreweries, and nurseries.
Tuesday's vote moves the proposal to a planning committee meeting Feb. 27, followed by a public hearing at the March 17 city council meeting.
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