Two residents who live near a proposed 10-unit townhouse development at 51 Keewenaw Dr. say the units would be out of place.

They also say the development would drive down property values in a Copper Ridge neighbourhood that features primarily single-detached and duplex homes.

“It’s basically going to be an eyesore,” Cory Kisser told city council Monday night. He spoke during a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of the lot.

The site is currently zoned as Neighbourhood Commercial. Property owner Patrick McLarnon is applying to have it changed to Residential Multiple Housing to allow for the townhouse plans to go ahead.

Kisser was the first of two people to speak at the public hearing last night.

Having viewed drawings of the plans, he told council, he believes the buildings – two five-unit two-storey structures with parking in between – aren’t very attractive and look out of place in the area.

If the city is going to change the zoning to a residential use, Kisser said, it should consider looking at subdividing the 3,600 square metre site into three lots.

It should then zone them for single-family or duplex housing that would fit better with the neighbourhood, Kisser told council.

Meanwhile, Sandra Markman, another resident of the area, argued there hasn’t been enough planning work done for the site.

There also doesn’t seem to be a lot of parking provided off the street, Markman argued.

With 10 units, she said, it’s possible 20 vehicles would be coming in and out of there daily.

“Please take a little more time,” Markman asked council, adding that “more homework needs to be done.”

Along with the two presentations at the hearing, the city received nine written submissions, said Valerie Braga, the city’s director of corporate services.

Of those, six are opposed to the proposal, two raised concerns and one expressed support.

This marks the second time McLarnon (the original owner of the property) has proposed to rezone the lot. The land has been vacant since it was created and put out to tender in 2005.

McLarnon has told city officials there has been no uptake on the lot as a commercial property, given its close 1.5-kilometre proximity to the Granger Mall.

In 2011, council turned down his application to rezone the property to Comprehensive Neighbourhood Commercial (CNC), which would have at that time allowed for residential development.

In a report to council before first reading of the rezoning bylaw, Mélodie Simard, the city’s planning and sustainability manager, noted: “Allowing for the lot to have a stand-alone residential development would reduce the commercial opportunities potentially available in Copper Ridge.

“However, given the low-density development style of Copper Ridge, and the close proximity to businesses in Granger, it is understandable that the feasibility of commercial establishments could be a challenge at the site.”

While the lot is zoned commercial, under the Official Community Plan, the area is designated Residential-Urban. That allows “for a variety of serviced residential development in close proximity to service and amenities.”

The plan, Simard highlighted, encourages residential neighbourhoods being built to feature the basics for residents to “live, work, and play in their day-to-day lives.

“Building complete communities also means providing variety in the mix of housing types available in neighbourhoods in order to meet a variety of housing preferences and needs.”

A report on the public hearing will come forward to council next week, with a vote on the final two readings expected on June 25.