Parking-lot requirements, woes continue for Serendipity Boutique in Cornwall
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Maison Baldwin House wants to pave the parking lot at its Serendipity Boutique second-hand store located at 331 Second St. W. and add a small storage structure, but keeps encountering hurdles to completing the project.
Representatives from Maison Baldwin House/Serendipity Boutique and EVB Engineering were at the City of Cornwall’s committee of adjustment meeting Wednesday in hopes their minor-variance application would be approved and the paving could be a step closer. Serendipity Boutique’s sales bring in revenue that helps support the organization’s emergency shelter for women and children fleeing violence.
While the application was approved for the repaving behind the non profit’s boutique, there were several conditions recommended and new requirements added at the meeting.
The Seaway News reported the organization recently celebrated a $75,000 fundraising milestone for the project in an effort to offer an upgraded outdoor parking space for shoppers, many of whom are clients of the shelter. City requirements have resulted in legal and engineering fees that surpass what was fundraised, reaching about $130,000 to date. Maison Baldwin House executive director Debbie Fortier said the quote for paving and installing a mandatory drainage system came in at $98,000, plus HST.
“Our main question or comment at this time has to do with the shared right of way agreement, and the associated joint-use and maintenance agreement along the north property line,” said Brant Woodside with EVB Engineering during the meeting. “Maison Baldwin House owns this strip of land and after three rounds of site-plan commentary, this is the first time we have heard of this condition.”
Cornwall development planner Sayana Sherif explained because the laneway — which Maison Baldwin House owns — off of Cumberland Street offers access to multiple properties, a shared right-of-way agreement and associated joint use and maintenance agreement is now required with the owners of 329, 321, and 311 Second St. W., whose rear-yard parking areas are being accessed. In addition, a shared right-of-way agreement and associated joint-use and maintenance agreement is required for the laneway to the east of the boutique off of Second Street West with owners of 329 Second St. W.
“It is essentially to protect adjacent properties and the subject property from any liability, to ensure that ingress and egress to the adjacent properties parking areas are maintained,” explained Sherif.
Fortier said Serendipity Boutique first began the process of updating its parking lot, which sees thousands of annual customers, in June of 2023. The complications arise because the property itself dates back over 100 years, and now current planning rules are being applied to paving the property.
Fortier recalled a time when an adjacent property owner paved its two-thirds of a portion of laneway and not the other portion owned by the non-profit. She said that owner was not required to establish any shared-use agreements. Fortier said she feels recent bylaws have fine-tuned the process and added expensive hurdles.
“We started this process a year ago… and here we are, still trying to get it done,” she said. “We will just carry on and try to take the next steps to get our neighbours on board.”
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