Niverville Town Council denied a revised plan to rezone 10 lots in the Fifth Avenue Estates development amid strong opposition from local residents.

A previous plan to change 27 lots along Breckenridge Drive from R1 to R2 was denied by council last September. Mayor Myron Dyck says the developer came forward with a revised plan and council gave first reading prompting a public hearing at Tuesday’s council meeting.

"The change of zoning today was different than the last one in that there was a less number of lots and the residents last time didn’t want anything on the lakefront and so the lots were interior lots and there was ten versus several dozen last time."

Applause could be heard throughout the public hearing as many members of the Fifth Avenue Estates community spoke in opposition to the rezoning. Lynne Phillips helped organize and collect signatures for a petition that was signed by 154 people. She explains residents purchased properties under the assumption the area would remain single-family housing. She adds they would like to see the street developed as promised.

"When we bought we looked at other houses along the ponds that were already completed or neighbourhoods and thought oh this is going to look beautiful when this is all done and then they want to change it to R2’s and if they start on one side, what is to say they are not going to change them to R2’s in six months time."

Phillips says many of the local residents are frustrated that they needed to come back to council to oppose the rezoning when the same people spoke against the original proposal in September.

Dyck says town council wants to continue working with developers because without them the town cannot grow but they also want to listen to the concerns of residents. He notes they heard from both sides at the public hearing and decided to deny the proposed rezoning.

Read More: 51 Residents Oppose Bylaw At Niverville Public Hearing

map showing proposed areas to be rezoned