A proposed development could see nearly 80 new apartment units added to Saint John’s west side.

Council considered a rezoning application for 460 Milford Road during their meeting on July 10.

The applicant is asking to rezone the land, located between Green Head Road and Violet Street, from two-unit residential to mid-rise residential.

It is their plan to build two 24-unit buildings and a 30-unit building on the site. All three buildings would be three storeys in height.

Yeva Mattson, a community planner with the city, said staff support the proposed rezoning application.

“It represents an opportunity to introduce additional density and would help the city meet the demand of future population growth, including providing opportunities to age in place,” Mattson told council during the public hearing.

If the rezoning is approved, Mattson said construction on the first building is expected to begin next spring.

Peter MacKenzie with Comeau MacKenzie Architecture spoke on behalf of the developer during the meeting.

MacKenzie said he hopes this project would act as a catalyst for additional development in that area.

“The project is another example of development going into an area and a neighbourhood that was a little bit overlooked and neglected for new projects in the past,” he said.

The buildings would consist of mainly two-bedroom units, but there would be some one-bedroom and three-bedroom units.

MacKenzie said it would take about one year to construct each building, adding they intend to build them in “rapid succession.”

Council is also being asked to approve several conditions, such as incorporating walkways connecting the buildings with the sidewalk on Milford Road, and requiring an updated traffic study if the proposed unit count increases by more than 10 per cent.

Mattson said the undeveloped city street that will serve as access to the site must also include a landscape buffer between adjacent residential properties.

Council unanimously approved the first and second reading of the rezoning application following the hearing. The application will come back for third reading at a later meeting.