A plan to replace an existing rental property at 254 Lake Avenue West with 20 new homes is moving forward, but councillors want parking, drainage and construction timing watched closely.
Carleton Place’s committee of the whole supported draft conditions for the proposed subdivision and common-elements condominium, sending them to Lanark County for final consideration.
The 0.48-hectare property, located across from Riverside Park and beside the high school, would be divided into seven residential parcels containing two single-detached homes, one semi-detached home and four fourplexes.
The proposal would create an overall density of approximately 40 units per hectare. Although that is considerably denser than the surrounding neighbourhood, planning staff concluded it complies with provincial planning policies, Carleton Place’s Official Plan and the town’s Development Permit Bylaw.
The project would use municipal water services available along Lake Avenue and connect to the sanitary sewer near Lyndhurst Street through a private force main.
Development Services Director Niki Dwyer explained that the condominium would own and maintain the site’s private sanitary pumping station, sewer connection and stormwater infrastructure. The individual properties would remain freehold parcels tied to the condominium.
“We’re not talking about the actual development, what the development is to look like, how it functions,” Dwyer said, noting those details will be settled later through the development permit process.
The fourplexes are currently expected to remain rental properties. Developer Nathan Adams told committee they would likely be owned by a group of investors, possibly through a real estate investment trust or a similar arrangement, although he could not guarantee how ownership might evolve over time.
Coun. Linda Seccaspina supported adding housing but cautioned that fitting 20 units onto a relatively small site makes drainage, parking, trees and neighbourhood compatibility especially important.
“This can be good infill, but good development means getting the details right before we build,” she said.
The existing Lake Avenue stormwater system can overflow into Riverside Park during heavy rain. Dwyer said the development’s private dry ponds would collect runoff, allow sediment to settle and slowly release water into the municipal system.
She acknowledged that increasingly severe storms are a legitimate concern but said the design meets current engineering standards.
Mayor Toby Randell focused on parking, warning that residents and visitors could spill onto the north side of Lake Avenue, where spaces are heavily used by Riverside Park visitors.
“The parking along what would be the north side of Lake is truly used for that park,” Randell said. “And if it becomes an issue where folks are using it as their own parking lot because they don’t have space within the site, we’re probably gonna have to change our parking rules along Lake Avenue.”
The development meets minimum on-site parking requirements and would not eliminate existing street parking. It would also add a sidewalk between Mississippi Road and the western edge of the property.
Councillors also questioned how construction would overlap with work at the water treatment plant and a five-year road-cut moratorium on Lake Avenue. Dwyer said some work could proceed without cutting the road and promised further discussions with the developer.
Lanark County is expected to consider the application early next year. Once draft approval is granted and the 20-day appeal period expires, the developer will have three years to satisfy all conditions before the subdivision and condominium can be registered.
Trees removed from the site must be replaced at a one-to-one ratio. Before construction begins, the developer must also submit updated traffic, landscaping, servicing and stormwater plans.
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