Parking woes continue for Serendipity Boutique in Cornwall

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Maison Baldwin House wants to pave the parking lot at its Serendipity Boutique thrift store located at 331 Second St. W. and add a small storage structure, but continues to encounter obstacles to completing the project.

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Representatives from Maison Baldwin House/Serendipity Boutique and EVB Engineering were at the Cornwall town of adjustment committee meeting Wednesday, hoping their request for minor variances will be approved and paving could be one step closer. Serendipity Boutique sales bring in proceeds that help support the organization’s emergency shelter for women and children fleeing violence.

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While the application was approved for the redevelopment behind the non-profit boutique, there were several conditions recommended and new requirements added at the meeting.

Seaway News reported that the organization recently celebrated a $75,000 fundraising milestone for the project in an effort to provide upgraded outdoor parking space for shoppers, many of whom are shelter clients. The city’s demands have resulted in legal and engineering fees exceeding those raised, totaling about $130,000 to date. Maison Baldwin House Executive Director Debbie Fortier said tThe quote for paving and installing a mandatory drainage system came to $98,000 plus HST.

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“Our primary question or comment at this time is with the right-of-way agreement and the associated shared use and maintenance agreement along the northern property line,” Brant Woodside of EVB Engineering said during the meeting. “Maison Baldwin House owns this strip of land and after three rounds of site plan comments, this is the first we’ve heard of this condition.”

Cornwall Development Planner Sayana Sherif explained because of the strip — which Maison Baldwin House owns — near Cumberland Street provides access to multiple properties, a shared right-of-way agreement and associated use and maintenance agreement is now required with the owners of 329, 321 and 311 Second St. W., whose rear parking areas are accessed. In addition, a shared access agreement and an associated shared use and maintenance agreement are required for the strip east of the boutique adjacent to Second Street West with the owners of 329 Second St. w.

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“It’s basically to protect the adjacent properties and the property in question from any liability, to make sure that the ingress and egress to the adjacent parking areas is maintained,” Sherif explained.

Fortier said Serendipity Boutique first began the process of updating its car park, which sees thousands of customers annually, in June 2023. The complications arise because the property itself is more than 100 years old and now the current planning rules apply on the pavement. property.

Fortier recalled a time when an adjacent property owner paved two-thirds of one section of the lane and not the other section owned by the non-profit. She said the owner was not required to establish any joint use agreement. Fortier said he believes recent regulations have tweaked the process and added costly hurdles.

“We started this process a year ago … and here we are, still trying to get it done,” she said. “We’re going to continue and try to take the next steps to bring our neighbors in.”

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