City Council Meeting Recap: April 21, 2026
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The following is a recap of the City of St. John's Regular Council Meeting on April 21, 2026. The recap provides an overview of Council decisions. All related documents for the decisions outlined below and the full agenda from the meeting are available by clicking the button below.
Council Meeting Video, Agenda & Documents
Development Applications:
Development applications are formal requests submitted to the City of St. John's by individuals, businesses, or developers seeking approval for projects that involve land use, building construction, or changes to property. These applications require council approvals and ensure that proposed developments comply with the City’s Envision St. John’s Development Regulations.
The following development applications were reviewed at the meeting:
Proposed Accessory Building in the Floodplain Buffer: 62 Old Bay Bulls Road |
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Council was asked to approve an 80.3 m² residential accessory building at 62 Old Bay Bulls Road. The proposed building would be located at the rear of the property, where part of the lot is within the Floodplain Buffer. In accordance with Section 4.10(6)(a) of the St. John’s Development Regulations, Council may permit an accessory building in this area, and under Section 4.10(8), consultation with the Environmental and Sustainability Experts Panel is not required.
Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Discretionary Use: 139 Cochrane Pond Road |
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A Discretionary Use application was submitted for an Agricultural Tourism Operation at 139 Cochrane Pond Road, including equine-based activities such as riding lessons, trail rides, and summer day camps. The Agriculture-zoned site allows the use, received provincial approval, and provides on-site parking, with no road upgrades required. While one public submission supported the proposal, others raised concerns about traffic, animal care, and manure management. The proposal aligns with the intent of Agricultural Tourism in the Development Regulations, and Council is required to set applicable zone standards for the site. Decision: 10 voted for the motion, and Councillor Davis voted against. |
Discretionary Use: 14 Forbes Street |
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A Discretionary Use application was submitted by Complete Holdings Inc. for a 285.6 m² warehouse at 14 Forbes Street to store tools and construction materials. The proposal involves renovating the ground floor of an existing building to support the business operating on the second floor. The site is zoned Commercial Neighbourhood (CN), operates weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and includes on-site parking. One public submission raised traffic concerns; however, the applicant noted no additional employees are proposed, and no increase in traffic is anticipated. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Crown Land Grant: 150 Howlett's Line |
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Council was asked to consider approving a Crown Land Grant for a parcel of land near 150 Howlett’s Line. The subject land is approximately 2,023 m², zoned Rural Residential Infill (RRI), and the proposed use—a residential dwelling—is permitted within the zone. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Crown Land Grant: 150 Howlett's Line |
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Council was asked to consider rejecting a Crown Land Grant for a parcel of land near 150 Howlett’s Line. The subject land is approximately 3,035 m² and is zoned Rural (R), where residential development is not permitted and a minimum lot area of 8,000 m² is required. Decision: Motion deferred. |
Crown Land Grant: 899 Northern Pond Road |
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Council was asked to consider rejecting a Crown Land Grant at 899 Northern Pond Road. The application involves approximately 3 hectares of land zoned Agriculture (AG), with a proposed use for bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil and non-hazardous drilling mud solids. This use is neither a permitted nor discretionary use within the Agriculture Zone. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Crown Land Lease: Northern Pond Road |
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Council was asked to consider approving a Crown Land Lease along Northern Pond Road. The application involves approximately 32.37 hectares of land zoned Agriculture (AG) for agricultural use, specifically land clearing and forage to support a sheep and beef operation in Goulds. A small portion of the land may fall within the Watershed Zone and should be excluded from the lease if provincial approval is granted. Decision: Item deferred, pending additional information. |
Request for Side Yard Variance: 23 Shoal Bay Road |
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Council was asked to consider approving a minor variance for the side yard setback at 23 Shoal Bay Road. The request relates to a subdivision application seeking a 0.83% variance to allow a 1.19 m side yard, where 1.2 m is required in the Residential 1 (R1) Zone. The variance is within the 10% limit permitted under Section 7.4 of the Development Regulations, and no objections were received from abutting property owners. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Request for Parking Relief: 71 O'Leary Avenue |
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Council was asked to consider granting parking relief for a proposed Car Sales Lot at 71 O’Leary Avenue, to be added to an existing Commercial Garage in the Industrial Commercial (IC) Zone. The use would normally require three additional parking spaces, which the applicant requested be waived. The site currently provides 49 parking spaces, with varying availability depending on time of day, and six spaces had previously been waived for another tenant. Based on site monitoring and the limited scale of the Car Sales Lot, staff supported considering parking relief without requiring a formal Parking Report. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Discretionary Use: Parklets Within St. John's Downtown and Churchill Square Areas |
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A Discretionary Use application was submitted by the City of St. John’s to allow parklets for outdoor dining on City-owned land in Downtown St. John’s and Churchill Square. The parklets would support restaurants and lounges in appropriately zoned areas and be located along parking spaces, sidewalks, and laneways. They are proposed to operate annually from the May long weekend to October for 2026–2028, with daily hours from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., subject to lease agreements and City approval. No public submissions were received. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Planning Applications and Information:
A planning application is a formal request to amend the Envision St. John's Municipal Plan and/or City’s Envision St. John’s Development Regulations. This would include applications to rezone or change the text in the Municipal Plan or Development Regulations. An amendment can be initiated by city staff, City Council, or a property owner.
Active applications can be viewed on the Planning St. John's webpage, which allows the public to learn more about planning applications, track progress, give feedback and ask questions and view upcoming public meetings all in one place.
The following planning applications were reviewed at the meeting:
Rezoning and Text Amendment: 69 Military Road |
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Council was asked to consider a rezoning and text amendment for 69 Military Road to allow a bakery, a restaurant, and a dwelling unit on the first storey. The proposal involves rezoning the property from Residential Downtown (RD) to Residential Mixed (RM) and amending the Development Regulations to add “bakery” as a permitted use and “restaurant” as a discretionary use in the RM Zone. The changes would enable a Breen’s Bakery and Deli and a new dwelling unit on the ground floor. Staff concluded the proposal aligns with the Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Downtown Neighbourhood Plan, is compatible with surrounding development, and recommended proceeding with public notification rather than a land use report or public hearing. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Text Amendment: Accessory Building and Backyard Suites in Rural Zones |
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Council was asked to consider a text amendment to the Envision St. John’s Development Regulations to provide greater flexibility for accessory buildings and backyard suites in rural zones. The proposed amendment would allow accessory buildings to be located in front yards and in front of the building line at Council’s discretion, increase the maximum height of accessory buildings in rural zones, and permit taller backyard suites in Rural Residential (RR) and Rural Residential Infill (RRI) zones. The changes apply to several rural and resource-based zones and are intended to reflect traditional rural development patterns while maintaining rural character. Public consultation is recommended through public notification only. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Text Amendment: Public Consultation and Variances |
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Council voted to rescind a previous motion adopting Development Regulations Amendment No. 68, 2026, to allow for revisions requested by the Province. After review, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs required updates to clarify public consultation requirements for variances under the Urban and Rural Planning Act. Staff revised the amendment accordingly, affecting sections related to public consultation and variances, and recommended rescinding the original adoption before considering the updated amendment. Council was then asked to adopt the updated Envision St. John’s Development Regulations Amendment No. 68, 2026, to revise public consultation requirements in response to changes to the Urban and Rural Planning Act. The amendment updates sections related to public consultation and variances to align with new provincial notice requirements. The revised version replaces an earlier amendment adopted in January 2026, following provincial feedback. Staff recommended accepting a staff report in lieu of a land use report, as the amendment is legislative in nature, site‑independent, and required for compliance. If adopted, the amendment will be forwarded to the Province for registration. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Amendments: 55 Groves Road |
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Council was advised that, following provincial release, it may now adopt the proposed Municipal Plan and Development Regulations amendments for 55 Groves Road and proceed to a commissioner’s public hearing. The amendments would enable the rezoning and redesignation of City-owned lands to allow 18 serviced semi‑detached dwellings, supported by municipal water and sewer extensions and road upgrades. The Regional Plan amendment has been adopted by the Province, requiring a joint public hearing, which is recommended to be held on May 20, 2026. Following the hearing, the amendments will return to Council for final consideration, along with the commissioner’s report. Decision: Approved unanimously. |
Interpret Zone Lines: 115 Macdonald Drive |
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Council was presented an information note regarding a decision to interpret zoning boundaries at 115 and 135 Macdonald Drive to reflect the sale of City‑owned land to the owner of 135 Macdonald Drive for additional parking. The land being sold will be subdivided from 115 Macdonald Drive (zoned Open Space) and consolidated with 135 Macdonald Drive (zoned Commercial Office Hotel). In accordance with the Development Regulations, the zone line will be adjusted to follow the new property boundary, and corresponding updates will be made to the Municipal Plan land‑use designations. |
Heritage Designation: 157-163 Water Street
When a property owner applies to demolish a building in a Heritage Area, it can trigger a review to determine if the building should be formally designated as a Heritage Building. This is because designation would protect the building from demolition.
In this case, an application was submitted to demolish two buildings at 157–163 Water Street, located in Heritage Area 2. As part of the process, the City reviewed whether the buildings met the criteria for heritage designation. While they do meet the minimum criteria, the Built Heritage Experts Panel recommended that the buildings not be designated. Instead, they advised that key heritage elements—such as the Water Street façade and historic passageway—be carefully documented and incorporated into any future redevelopment.
Council first considered the matter at Committee of the Whole on April 14, 2026, where it was deferred to allow time for more information. After further discussions with the developer, Council later voted against deferring the decision (10–1) at the Regular Council Meeting and proceeded to vote on the original recommendation to not designate.
Decision: 6 voted in favour of not designating, and Councillors Hickman, Halley, Noseworthy, Davis, and Earle voted against.
Amendment to Animal Control Regulations
Council was asked to approve an amendment to the City’s Animal Control Regulations to allow inspectors with Humane Services to issue tickets for violations, rather than relying solely on formal court charges. The change is intended to improve enforcement efficiency by introducing a $100 ticket option for minor infractions. In addition, Humane Services has received provincial authorization to issue fines under certain sections of provincial legislation, expanding the City’s enforcement tools.
Decision: Approved unanimously.
Lease of City Land Adjacent to 283 Water Street
Council was asked to approve a lease of City-owned land adjacent to 283 Water Street, fronting Beck’s Cove, to accommodate fenced propane tanks for a proposed restaurant. The request was reviewed by relevant City departments with no objections, subject to compliance with established conditions. The lease would be issued at a cost of $60 per year plus HST, along with a one-time administrative fee of $300 plus HST.
Decision: Approved unanimously.
SHAD Memorial 2026 Sponsorship Breakfast
Council was asked to approve hosting and sponsoring a breakfast at City Hall for staff and students participating in the Shad Memorial 2026 program. The requested event, involving approximately 80 participants, is proposed for Monday, July 27 and would include a breakfast with the Mayor and/or Councillors, followed by a tour and time in Council Chambers. This annual event has been supported by Council since 2007 and supports Shad Memorial’s not-for-profit program for high-achieving high school students.
Decision: Approved unanimously.
Special Events Regulatory Committee
Council approved temporary road closures for the following two events:
Battle of the Atlantic Parade and Ceremony – May 3
- Event hosted by the Royal Canadian Navy
- Ceremony at the National War Memorial, followed by a short procession along Water Street
- Military Police and RNC to manage closures
- Road closures:
- Water Street (Temperance Street to Cochrane Street): 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
- Water Street (Holloway Street to Cochrane Street): 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Water Street (Cochrane Street to Ayres Cove): 12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Athletics North East (ANE) Mile Road Race – May 24
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Sunday, 7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
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RNC escort with race marshals stationed at all barricades
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Road closures and lane reductions: Advance lead barriers to allow vehicles to redirect or turn around before closures
- The Boulevard (Carnell Drive to Quidi Vidi Village Road) – both directions
- Local access maintained:
- Between Carnell Drive and the Start Line (Bandstand)
- Between Quidi Vidi Village Road and the Finish Line (Bridge on Carnell Drive)
- Legion Road
- East White Hills Road
- Pleasantville Avenue
Traffic control will be provided, local and emergency traffic will be allowed, and nearby businesses will be notified. All closures aim to support event safety while maintaining necessary access where possible.
Tenders
A list of contracts awarded from March 4 to April 13 was shared for Council’s information.
Permits Issued
Council was provided with a list of Development Permits and Building Permits issued since the last council meeting for their information.
Weekly Payment Vouchers
Council approved the weekly payment vouchers for the weeks ending April 8 and April 15.
Volunteer Week, April 19-25, 2026
Mayor Breen was joined by Colin Corcoran and Bahar Hashemi, Community Sector Council (CSCNL), Lori Letto from the City of St. John's Volunteer Services Team, and 2026 Volunteer Award Recipients Seth Hyde and Sarah (Matty's mom), from Seth and Matty's Hat Trick Campaign Committee to proclaim April 19-25 as Volunteer Week.
National Poetry Month, 2026
Danielle Devereaux presented a reading for National Poetry Month.
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