Downtown hotel takes another step.

The debate over a proposed hotel at the corner of Duckworth and Bell streets continued in chambers during the weekly meeting of St. John’s city council.

Many area residents have concerns about the effects the four-storey structure may have on the downtown sector as far as view, light and parking. Councilor John Dinn said although about 45 people attended a public meeting Sept 14 to discuss the matter, not everyone in attendance was against the construction of the hotel by Langton Green Development Inc.

Dinn moved to proceed with the rezoning process by amending the city’s municipal plan and development regulations to allow changes the changes. Council approved the motion. The next step will be for a city commissioner to be appointed to hold a public hearing on the rezoning application and report back to council with recommendations on the proposed amendments.

While council voted to continue with the rezoning process, some concerns raised by the development were discussed further. One major concern from the area residents, as expressed at the public meeting, was the issue of public parking, which Dinn said would be looked at further down the road.

“The developers have said when they’re finished with the hotel, there should be about 50 (parking) spaces available to the public,” Dinn said. “Details of this stuff will be worked out when we get to the stage of development but right now, we’re dealing with rezoning.”

Councilor Dennis O’Keefe said any details on potential parking opportunities following the construction of the hotel should be written into an agreement. O’Keefe wants to ensure the current parking situation is not reduced should the hotel go through to the development stage.

“Once they’re finished, the parking will be as such that there will be at least 50 parking spaces that will be available to the public and they will replace the 32 we currently have down there,” he said. “I want to make sure that the parking is copper-fastened and that it’s not something that might be available for a couple of months and then all of a sudden disappear…I just don’t want to see 32 spaces disappear from the downtown area.”

The detailed design of Bell Street during and after pending construction is not available, but existing parking meters will be moved to make way for the development. No further expropriation of property will be required, however, to allow the hotel to start. City council agreed in principle earlier this month to expropriation of the vacant Henry Street house owned by 78-year-old Brendan Murphy if necessary.

Other concerns are building height, shadowing and loss of view but Dinn argued a four-storey development would not be detrimental to the area and would not stand out that much from existing structures.

“There’s a lot of buildings in that area now over three storeys and that’s the first thing I noticed,” Dinn said. “We’re talking about a place that’s predominantly two and three storey. This hotel might have some impact on Henry Street, but it’ll only be four storeys on that street….with any building height, you’re going to lose some views.”

Councilor Frank Galgay said he was confident parking and other issues would be dealt with by the developer when the time is right and he believes the development would be beneficial to the area, although he knows a 100 per cent approval rate is impossible to achieve.

“In principle, I think it’s a good development in this particular area,” Galgay said. “It’s good for the city, good for tourism and good for economic development. “Some of the street view plains of the residents will be affected, that’s a given. We won’t be able to satisfy everybody there but all in all, that development will be good for the city.”

The Telegram, Bradley Bouzane. September 28, 2004