Sackville Drive to get more entertainment

SACKVILLE - One resident's concerns about gambling weren't enough to keep North West Community Council from passing an application allowing commercial entertainment establishments on parts of Sackville Drive to increase their maximum allowable floor space.

Coach's Pub & Grill asked HRM to amend the Pedestrian Retail Zone within the Sackville Drive Land-use Bylaw to allow establishments like lounges to be larger than 800 sq. ft. Staff recommended an increase to a maximum of 2,500 sq. ft.

"That restriction represents half of the permitted footprint of commercial buildings in the pedestrian retail zone," said planner Miles Agar. "The 2,500 square foot restriction encourages more than one commercial entertainment use to occupy a building."

Agar said the application by Coach's was reasonable because 800 sq. ft. was too small to accommodate many businesses requiring additional space to be viable.

"The last three years we've been operating as a dining room and lounge. This year we had an opportunity to get VLTs," explained Danny Daoud, speaking on behalf of Coach's. "To accommodate that, we had to segregate an area.(Now) the whole area is cut into pieces."

The building's structure and footprint will remain the same. But because Coach's wants to operate the entire facility (lounge and restaurant) as a lounge, it needed HRM to amend the 800 square foot size restriction across the entire pedestrian retail zone. It currently operates 1,200 sq. ft. of its floor space as a licensed, full service restaurant.

Operate as a lounge

The amendment will enable the entire facility to operate as a lounge.

One male resident who spoke at length during the public hearing expressed concerns about council amending a bylaw that would allow more video lottery terminals and gambling to take place in the community.

"I don't agree it's in the best interests of the community. Is that really what they envisioned in the Sackville Drive Secondary Planning Strategy?" he asked. "You have the legion, Coach's, Terry's. There's quite a bit of square footage of lounges in that area. I don't think you need to add to it."

Several other speakers, including at least one Coach's employee, addressed the meeting in support of the application.

"If you want to have a drink after 9 p.m., (we) have to ask people to move," said Doreen McDougall. "This won't make a difference to the noise or bring troublemakers to the area. It will be to accommodate the people of Sackville."

The Sackville Drive Business Association also backed the change.

"An increase to the allowable square footage for a commercial entertainment business in the pedestrian-retail (PR) zone would allow for a viable business venture while upholding the intent of the PR zone," the association's chairwoman Tara Hill wrote in a supporting letter.

Local councillors said they were satisfied with the work done by planning staff and approved the application.

ydentremont@hfxnews.ca