Property owner plans to build Hampton Inn on site of Fergus KFC

FERGUS – A Hampton Inn will replace the aging Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant at 675 St. David Street North (Highway 6) in Fergus if the property owner goes ahead with its plans.

A numbered company, 2701404 Ontario Inc., hopes to build a hotel on the site and while the C2 highway commercial zoning allows for a hotel, the company is requesting a four-storey building (three storeys is currently the maximum allowed) as well as 82 parking spaces (83 are required) and smaller setbacks and landscaped areas.

The requirement is that 20 per cent of the property be landscaped; the company is seeking 19%. 

Because no zoning change is required, the matter went to the Committee of Adjustment on Aug. 20.

Staff had no objections to the changes, which they considered “minor” in nature.

“The proposed hotel represents an appropriate use of the subject property, and the requested variances are not anticipated to result in adverse impacts on surrounding properties," states the staff report in the committee's Aug. 20 agenda.

"Accordingly, staff are satisfied that the application meets the four tests for a minor variance."

One letter of objection was received from a neighbouring property on Woodside Street.

Carly Taylor stated her main concerns are that a hotel on the site will add noise, traffic and more on-street parking in the residential neighbourhood abutting the property.

And allowing an extra storey will compound the problem, she argued.

Traffic and parking are already issues for her and her neighbours, she wrote in her letter.

She suggested a green roof or green balcony on the hotel roof could offset the reduction in landscaping the owner is seeking.

Despite Taylor’s objections, the Committee of Adjustment approved the minor variances. 

As such, the matter will not go to council.