CBRM decision paves way for hardware store expansion
Cape Breton Regional Municipal council has approved land use bylaw amendments that will allow the reinvention of the former Frank Angot School building to serve as the new home for New Waterford Home Hardware.
At its recent July meeting, council held a public hearing into the proposal. No members of the public spoke on the project when given the opportunity to do so.
Planning director Malcolm Gillis noted the plan was well-received during a public meeting in the community that attracted more than 100 people.
Dist. 11 Coun. Lowell Cormier noted he hadn’t received one call from anyone against the proposal.
“I’m delighted with this outcome,” he said. “It’s a win-win for us because that’s a school that I don’t think there was any other interest in.”
When the school closed, the building, located at 3657 Ellsworth Ave., was turned back over to the CBRM by the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, which declared it surplus. Staff had recommended that council adopt the necessary amendments to allow for the company’s proposal.
Cormier noted that now the municipality won’t have to deal with the issue of having to tear down the former school building, while allowing the business to expand.
Gillis noted Home Hardware is the last remaining hardware store in the community of New Waterford. Cormier added it has a payroll of about $400,000.
“They’ve taken over a former school and we around this table are no doubt aware … I don’t recall how many opportunities have come our way, usually a derelict school is an albatross around our necks,” Dist. 6 Coun. Ray Paruch said. “Here are people not only now taking this facility, they’re going to turn it into something that’s going to be an addition to the community.
In his written report to council, Gillis noted that Home Hardware indicated that it will maintain the landscaped yard facing Ellsworth Avenue before being asked to do so and a traffic study will be conducted to address some concerns that were raised at the public meeting.
There was some concern that delivery trucks may not have enough room to manoeuvre from Ellsworth Avenue onto the two streets that will provide access to the property, Convent and James streets.
Gillis previously said it could cost the CBRM about $250,000 to demolish the school building.
Aaron Wilson, owner of New Waterford Home Hardware, has said they want to purchase the Frank Angot building in order to expand. He noted their current building is almost 100 years old, was formerly a grocery store.
The Wilson family opened the hardware store there in 1993 and currently employs 14, full- and part-time. He said the new building would allow them to double the size of their retail sale floor, have more interior storage for lumber, be able to carry more lumber products and have a lumber yard on the same property.
The hardware store currently has a lumber yard on property across the street from the store.
The current store location is expected to be demolished with the land to eventually be put up for sale for future residential development.