IRAC overturning city's rejection of condo plan 'annoys' Charlottetown mayor

Charlottetown's mayor says he's "annoyed" the Island Regulatory Appeals Commission overturned the city's decision to reject a zoning application for a condo development near the Belvedere Golf Club.

Mayor Clifford Lee said he heard from many residents who were against the proposed three-building, 18-unit townhouse development to be built on land that belongs to the golf course.

• IRAC overturns Charlottetown's rejection of condominium project
• Condo development on Charlottetown golf course proposed

And he isn't happy about the city getting an order from IRAC.

The city's planning board had recommended the project go ahead, but council voted it down a year and a half ago.

The developer appealed the decision through IRAC and won.

"It really annoys the life out of me when IRAC, a group of unelected, politically appointed individuals, all of a sudden have determined they have the authority to override decisions of municipal governments," Lee said.

An IRAC spokesperson said the decision speaks for itself and that officials won't comment beyond that.

The IRAC order said there wasn't much resistance to the project and described the development as "superior planning."

It also said council based its decision on "irrelevant considerations."

But some nearby residentsworry about traffic, saying Kensington Road is already busy enough.

Darlene Boulter bought her home, right beside the proposed development site, nine months ago.

Boulter didn't know about the appeal.

"Well, we're stuck with the place, we can't do anything about it," she said. "I definitely don't like the idea of it because of the traffic. That's why we bought the place, we like seeing the golf course."

Marie McAulay said, "You can't come out of the driveway now and you can't get in and if you're going to add 18 more units, then how are people going to get in and out."

McAulay said the IRAC process doesn't make sense to her.

"Council has to rescind their decision, it just doesn't make sense to me that one can overdo the other."

The golf course plans to sell the land to the developer for about $300,000.

Developer Cecil MacLauchlan of Hanmac Inc. said the project should have been approved in the first place.

The city has 20 days to appeal, but Lee said he doesn't expect the city will do that.

MacLauchlan said he plans to wait out the appeal period and then work on plans to purchase the land. Construction on the project would begin later in 2016.