Neighbours appeal Shore Club expansion
Hubbards live music venue building 2,000 square foot outdoor patio
Live music and lobster suppers will be spilling out of the Shore Club onto a new outdoor space this summer but some neighbours aren’t happy about it.
The Harnish family, owners of the Shore Club in Hubbards, are building an outdoor serving space, and a 2,000-square-foot dining patio. They’re hoping to get an exception (variance) to the land use bylaw which sets out how far the patio deck can be from the property line.
“With the addition of this dining out facility, it greatly increases the number of people that will now be eating and drinking directly opposite my road,” wrote Susan Mccann who is a seasonal resident nearby on property her family has owned for 60 years.
“The drinking issue has caused issues to this day as I frequently find beer bottles, glasses, and just general garbage on my property on a Sunday morning after the dances. I have also encountered people from the club using the bathroom in my bushes and other such things that I won’t get into here.”
She wrote to HRM staff, along with three other property owners, to oppose the variance application. It is set for a decision by the North West Community Council on Monday night. City staff addressed the concerns in a report and are recommending that the appeal by neighbours be denied and the variance be approved.
BUILDING ON A SUMMER TRADITION
The Shore Club — billed as Nova Scotia’s last great dance hall — is heading into its 77th year of lobster suppers and live music summer shows. Matt Mays, in particular, has been performing sold-out shows for more than 15 years and, according to a press release, tickets for his five shows this August are selling well.
Cousins Jared and Luke Harnish recently took it over from Rhys Harnish, becoming the fourth generation to run the club.
Jared said he was looking at it with fresh eyes — he recently returned home after 20 years away — and they’ve always wanted to have an outdoor space.
“There was always the question: Why is there not a patio at the Shore Club?” he said. “We really just wanted to provide something that would enhance the experience of the club and since COVID, there has been a push that people would ask for more.”
While they’re looking to get a variance to the bylaw in order to expand the patio in some cases right up to the property line, Jared said that will still leave plenty of space to the road.
The original plans included an outdoor kitchen and bathrooms but Jared said it’s more like a covered serving area instead of a kitchen and the plans for the bathrooms are on pause for now.
“We had nothing but positive responses from 99.9 per cent of people that hear about it so we thought it was the right direction to go in,” Jared said. “It’s an easy way to provide something everyone has been asking for and support the already existing business of lobster supers and dances.”
NOISE AND GARBAGE
Thalia Delano expressed concerns about traffic, people parking on private property and along the road, and reducing the amount of parking available at the Shore Club.
“The patrons do not respect local landowners. Damage is caused every year at the top of our property. Adding a deck, putting more people outside will have more people using Dauphinee Drive as their washroom or congregation area,” Delano wrote.
Delano said it’s already too loud with events that go early into the next morning and end with hundreds of people walking through private properties.
David Walsh and Janesta Boudreau wrote that they don’t have a problem with the Shore Club and see it as a “keystone of the local community.”
But they live on a narrow road nearby and an outdoor space will “will greatly increase both the volume and frequency of use of the area by patrons in close proximity to the intersection and its traffic.”
They’re worried about the safety of residents and losing trees that are a privacy screen which is “vital for a continued peaceful, safe, and private coexistence.”
ADDRESSING CONCERNS
HRM planners Rhys Burnell and Peter Nightingale addressed concerns raised by residents in a report. They said that noise and littering complaints can be lodged through 311 and trespassing complaints through the RCMP. There is “ample onsite parking,” they wrote, and cars can park along the roadside as long as it’s not longer than 24 hours.
They also stated that the Shore Club’s variances don’t violate the intent of the land use bylaw.
Jared said he hasn’t received negative feedback on the project but noted it’s difficult to get the word out into the community about what they’re trying to do. He added he hopes the public hearing will help.
“We believe the patio is going to enhance the experience and mitigate some of the issues that are now of concern,” he said.
There have been delays, but Jared said they’re expecting the patio to be open this summer.
The North West Community Council meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at the Sackville Heights Community Centre.