Fredericton council moves ahead to offer micro-apartments on Waterloo Row
Fredericton City Council is making room for 162 new micro-apartments on Waterloo Row that are expected to be built next spring.
City councillors voted in favour of the controversial development at 650 Waterloo Row during Tuesday night's city council meeting.
The development will feature two buildings, one five-storey building with about 132 units and one three-storey building with 30 units. The company behind the project, Micro Boutique Living Inc., has constructed similar micro-units in Wolfville and Antigonish, N.S.
Coun. Eric Megarity, who represents south Devon, Barkers Point and lower St. Mary's, said Fredericton needs this type of development.
"We're growing and we've got people from outside the city willing to invest in our city to make us a better city," Megarity said.
"If we put too many roadblocks up, they'll go somewhere else."
2 councillors against the plan
But not everyone on city council is as enthusiastic about the plan.
Coun. Eric Price and Kate Rogers voted against changes to the zoning bylaw.
Rogers said she supports the construction of micro-apartments in the city, but not in the proposed location.
"This is exactly the direction we need to go in, but it is not a wonderful development for this area we're looking at rezoning," Rogers said during Tuesday night's council meeting.
Some councillors said the proximity to the city's downtown makes the location appealing, but Rogers disagrees.
"The truth of the matter is, they're really not," she said.
She said it's about a half hour walk to downtown from that particular location.
"I think it's not quite as convenient as what's being sold."
More than 28 people in the neighbourhood asked City Hall to take a closer look at the proposal in late October. Residents expressed concerns about increased traffic and their properties becoming flooded with runoff.
Area split in 2
The area being considered for development is split in two by a stream, which residents said becomes a raging torrent that overwhelms culverts during heavy rain. The two apartment buildings would be located on either side of the stream.
Moving forward, Roger hopes council will pay attention to the environmental concerns connected to rezoning that area of land.
She said the development would cause numerous trees to be chopped, meaning their would be less roots to soak up water during rainy weather.
"Water goes where it wants to go and right now it is flowing down that slope and I think it's going to be hard-pressed to stop," Rogers said.
