After hearing from residents, the Town of Niverville has approved a conditional use permit to build a 5-plex at the corner of 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue.

Mayor Myron Dyck says there is currently a single-family home on the property but it is already zoned R3 for multiple family residential. He notes council held a public hearing and a number of residents came forward with concerns.

"These are concerns that are often raised for situations like this. Is there going to be proper parking, it is going to impact the neighbourhood, what is the traffic going to be, is it going to impact drainage? The concerns that were raised by residents are all part of what is normal for going into a development agreement so the conditional use has been accepted conditionally to the development agreement which will address the parking and the traffic and drainage and such items."

Dyck says another neighbouring resident brought forward concerns about the placement of a fire hydrant with town water being brought in for the new 5-plex.

"For any infill and of course new development, council wants to see those homes connect to town water. We believe it is a matter of good health, not that wells aren’t healthy but there could be boil water advisories which then could impact people and people’s health. Council has had a policy that anytime there are new developments in infill or in new, that it must be hooked up to the new town water system."

Dyck says council will address the fire hydrant concern as well as they can. He adds residents in the area will now also be able to connect to town water if they so choose.

The lot that will soon be home to a 5-plex