Letter from owners of 333 Stewart Avenue re: File No. 3060-020-2109-06
Detailed letter from the owners of 333 Stewart Avenue voicing strong opposition to the proposed variance requests at 331 Stewart Avenue.
Date: May 12, 2019
Attn: Town of View Royal – Committee of the Whole
Subject: File No. 3060-020-2109-06; 331 Stewart Avenue Natural Watercourse and Shoreline Environment Development Permit – New House Build
We are the owners of the home at 333 Stewart Avenue. Our property is contiguous to 331 and 329 Stewart Ave and as such, we are arguably the most impacted by the variance requests Mr. Jackson is seeking in his Development Permit application.
Background
Before we address these variances in detail, we would like to talk about the lack of transparency in Mr. Jackson’s conversations when meeting with us. We had several informal conversations regarding his wish to develop his property. During those conversations we asked about height and were told he was staying within the regulations, which is not the case. He did indicate the house would extend beyond the required setback. We told him that concerned us. He assured us he would discuss his plans when they were ready.
Since those casual meetings, Mr. Jackson has not come forth to review any formal plans. In fact, the first we knew of them was through the report submitted to the Town of View Royal on May 10th, and this only through our own investigations with the township - and we are THE MOST AFFECTED. Why would Mr. Jackson ignore our input, concerns or potential support for a plan that could work?
We see there are some letters of support in the application, however most of these are from people who don’t even live on the street and where there will be zero impact to their property. Several of these letters are being retracted as these neighbours were unaware of the variances requested. It is noteworthy that the contiguous and most affected neighbours oppose this design.
Our Concerns
There is no hardship or need for the home to encroach into the setback and to disrupt the privacy and quiet enjoyment of our home. The current design and variance results in Mr. Jackson’s deck looking into our property and directly into our family home. He will infringe on our privacy in our main living room and bedroom areas.
There are ways to engineer a different walkway and have the entire building moved back so the new home aligns with the rules of the zone. We realize there are some impediments as outlined in the Geotechnical report, but that speaks to the current design. There are designs that will work – structures have been built on much more difficult terrain than this. It may cost more money, but that is not a hardship. The only real purpose in requesting this variance is for Mr. Jackson to maximize his water views – but that results in the loss of privacy in our dream home, which is a hardship!
We do appreciate Mr. Jackson trying to mitigate the overlook into our property from his skywalk with landscaping. However, the proposed shrubs would have to be over 30ft high to meet this goal. Again this speaks to the need for a different design for the walkway to the home.