The Village of Pemberton council will vote on March 25 on a plan to narrow roads in the proposed Parkside housing development at 7362 Farm Road East.
The development would include 32 new homes, including duplexes, triplexes, and houseplexes. The developer says the steep land makes it hard to build standard-sized roads because of the topography. The proposal would reduce the width of Sabre Way, the main road in the area, from 9.5 meters to 6.8 meters.
Road A Proposed Variances
Road A will be the main road through the development, providing access to most of the residential development. It is proposed as a cul-de-sac road and will not connect to any adjacent properties or future growth, and will service only the residential lots proposed in the
subdivision. The variances proposed for Road A are as follows:
Minimum right-of-way width from 18 to 12 metres
Minimum asphalt width from 8.5 to 6.6 metres
Minimum sidewalk width from 1.5m to 1.0m for upper portion
Maximum cul-de-sac length from 150 metres to 315 metres
Two smaller lanes will also be reduced. According to a staff report, narrow roads are needed to make the project possible while limiting damage to the land. The staff report also mentions that though narrow, the roads will be safe and accessible. Staff noted that the variances proposed had undergone a thorough review process by the applicant’s engineer and Village staff.
“Given the topography of the site and the intended housing density proposed, the proposed variances will be necessary to achieve the development proposed. The variances are substantial but conform with the intent of the Hillside Development to minimize the extent of cut and fill required to develop on sloping sites,” the report notes.