Councillors on the Dartmouth side of the harbour rejected a staff recommendation and approved a 12-storey development for Prince Albert Road following a public hearing Thursday night.
The Harbour East Marine Drive Community council voted unanimously in favour of a motion from the councillor for the area, Sam Austin, to approve a development agreement for three properties — two on Prince Albert Road and one on Bartlin Road.
The application is from property owners Robert Yuille, the Association of NS Land Surveyors, and Twin Lakes Development Limited (which is owned by Yuille, David Zareski, and Trevor Chisholm) for two 12-storey towers with 176 apartments, ground-floor commercial space, and 210 underground parking stalls.
Municipal planner Jamy-Ellen Klenavic recommended against the proposal, arguing the developers could house the same number of people in a shorter building.
“The height being proposed is not necessary to get the density on this site,” Klenavic told the community council on Thursday.
Klenavic’s concerns included height, size, design, and wind, warning the new proposal could create windy conditions at Alderney School behind the property.
Only two people signed up to speak to the councillors, Chuck and Shelly Bridges, and both argued in favour of the development, which they argued would allow older Dartmouthians to stay in the neighbourhood as they aged.
Austin said he doesn’t often, if ever, argue against the staff recommendation, but he felt the new design was an improvement and the neighbours were in favour of it.
“Normally, for something like this, you’d expect to have nearby neighbours out in opposition and there’s been none of that,” Austin said. “The community seems to be on board with this.”
People wishing to appeal the decision by the community will have two weeks to ask the Utility and Review Board to take a second look. The developers will have 240 days to sign the development agreement.