{"id":8766,"date":"2025-06-02T15:22:36","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qccrfm.com\/news\/?p=8766"},"modified":"2025-06-03T09:44:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T12:44:41","slug":"residents-business-owners-to-have-say-on-liverpool-downtown-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qccrfm.com\/news\/2025\/06\/02\/residents-business-owners-to-have-say-on-liverpool-downtown-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Residents, business owners to have say on Liverpool downtown development"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Eric Fry of SDL Investments Limited is hoping to build 16 apartments in the old Stedmans building on Main Street in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)<\/p><\/div>\n

UPDATED Mon., June 2 at 4:45 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The public will be able to give their feedback on a proposed new apartment building on Main Street in Liverpool that may result in a significant change to the downtown landscape.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Region of Queens is considering an application from Eric Fry, president of SDL Investments Limited, to turn the former Stedmans building at 194 Main St. into 16 apartments<\/a>. It was most recently used by a real estate development company. And before that, it housed a discount store and office space on the ground floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

The region\u2019s land use bylaw<\/a> permits residential units on Main Street only in buildings with a commercial storefront.<\/span><\/p>\n

The proposal from Fry\u2019s SDL Investments Ltd. does not have any commercial element.<\/span><\/p>\n

That means the land use bylaw would have to be amended for the project to go ahead. And that requires a public hearing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The region\u2019s planning advisory committee discussed the proposal in May.<\/span><\/p>\n

Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton, a member of the planning advisory committee, said the committee wasn\u2019t comfortable giving a recommendation on the potential bylaw change without \u201csome thorough public engagement\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPAC was uncomfortable moving a recommendation forward without public engagement, knowing that either allowing this use by right or by development agreement, could open it up to some significant change,\u201d she told councillors at their regular meeting last week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR on Monday that the committee wanted a \u201cmore robust public information opportunity\u201d before a public hearing\u00a0<\/span>\u201cto be able to provide more information to the public about what the shape of the amendment to the land use bylaw that\u2019s being envisioned, what that looks like.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“So as a way to get a full package of information to engaged members of the community and then providing them with an opportunity to have their say. It\u2019s not required by the province. It\u2019s best practices, I think,” Christian said. <\/span><\/p>\n

“We know that this is an important conversation for us to be having and so we wanted to make sure that we have lots of opportunity for getting the information out there and giving folks an opportunity to provide their feedback.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Public information sessions are planned in the community room at Queens Place Emera Centre, on June 17 and June 19, both from 5 to 8 p.m. One will be geared more toward the business community and the other toward residents, Christian said.<\/span><\/p>\n

“A formal notice and some promotional materials will be coming out early next week,” Christian said. “It’s going to be a drop-in, drop-out type of engagement and information session as opposed to a town hall with a microphone. … And the organization will be set up with information and with some ways for folks to give their input.”<\/p>\n

He said this type of consultation is more effective at getting information to people and gathering feedback.<\/p>\n

UPLAND Planning<\/a>, the consultants that helped draft the region’s land use bylaw and municipal planning strategy<\/a> adopted in 2022, will lead the public consultation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Originally, residents and business owners were also going to be able to complete an online survey. But Christian said Monday that may not happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a report from Mike MacLeod<\/a>, director of land use, members of the planning advisory committee \u201cfelt that opening up the (commercial downtown zone) to residential development as-of-right was not in the best interest of the community and that if council was to permit this use, controls would need to be established.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

MacLeod said the committee asked for draft amendments to be prepared for them to examine before they made a recommendation to council.<\/span><\/p>\n

The consultants will prepare a report for council by the end of June. The region\u2019s planning advisory committee would review the report, and then council would discuss the committee\u2019s recommendations at its July meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christian said if there are proposed amendments to the land use bylaw, councillors would vote on those. If it passed first reading, then there would be a two-week notice period for a public hearing to be held before the final vote.<\/p>\n

Fry gave councillors details of his proposed development at their April 22 meeting<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n