Council approves Croft Road variance

Council had previously rejected a variance request after a tie vote, but when the matter returned this week, enough councillors supported the application to approve it. The only votes against the variance came from Mayor Simon Yu and councillors Kyle Sampson and Brian Skakun.

As part of the approval, the developer will now be required to plant cedar trees along the property line to provide additional privacy for neighbouring residents. The landscaping requirement will add costs to the project and was intended to help address concerns raised by nearby homeowners.

For neighbour Mike Godfrey, however, the condition does little to alleviate his concerns.

“What happens with the next owner that just cuts the cedars down because he doesn’t like them?” Godfrey said.

Godfrey has been one of the most vocal opponents of the variance and says the issue extends beyond the impacts on his own property.

“We live in a rules based society. If the very people that are creating the rules can seemingly sidestep them or cancel them, what does that say for our entire society as a whole?” he said.

The debate at council largely centred on how to address a mistake made by city staff after significant work had already been completed on the home.

Councillor Ron Polillo, who voted in favour of the variance, acknowledged the decision was difficult but ultimately felt allowing construction to continue was the best course of action.

“This wasn’t an easy decision, but I believe it was the right decision to allow the building to continue,” Polillo said.

Polillo also recognized that the outcome would have a direct impact on neighbouring residents who opposed the project.

“I know this is not an easy decision, and I know it directly impacts the one neighbor there,” he said.

For now, Godfrey says he is still trying to determine how to move forward following council’s decision.

“Honestly, I wish I knew. I don’t know what the next course of action is,” he said.

While the variance approval clears the way for construction to continue, the broader debate surrounding accountability and the consequences of municipal mistakes is likely to continue. For supporters, the decision resolves a costly problem created by a city error. For opponents, it raises questions about what happens when established rules are set aside to correct a mistake that has already been built into the landscape.

by Nick Dube

Council approves Croft Road variance

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