Cochrane committee to consider minor variance for 144 Fourth Street West on April 8

Falcon Investment Inc. has filed a minor variance application for 144 Fourth Street West in Cochrane that will be considered by the town’s committee of adjustment on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 171 Fourth Avenue.

The application asks the committee to approve zoning variances tied to a proposed three-storey apartment building at the property, including requests related to height, outdoor amenity space and parking.

The town’s notice of hearing (Application No. A02-2026) says the application seeks relief from Town of Cochrane Zoning By-law 968-2013 under Section 45 of Ontario’s Planning Act.

The proposal is for a three-storey apartment dwelling containing nine residential units, with a ground-floor area of 232.44 square metres (2,502 square feet). The existing building is proposed to remain on the property.

The notice says the building currently contains office space and three residential units, and that a portion of the commercial space is vacant.

The application lists four requested variances. The first would allow a building height of 11 metres (36.09 feet), where the bylaw sets a maximum height of 10 metres (32.81 feet).

The second request is for 44 square metres (473.61 square feet) of outdoor amenity space, described as 3.67 square metres per dwelling unit, instead of the 4.5 square metres per unit required by the bylaw. In the same section, the notice also states that “12 dwelling units” are proposed at 144 Fourth Street West for the purpose of calculating required amenity space, which would require 54 square metres (581.25 square feet).

A third variance request seeks 14 off-street parking spaces (1.1 per dwelling unit) instead of the 1.25 parking spaces per apartment unit required by the bylaw. The notice also states that, based on “12 residential units proposed” at the address, 15 off-street spaces would be required.

The fourth variance request seeks to permit six parking spaces on the property, where the bylaw requires all required parking spaces to be located entirely on the same lot as the building, structure or use they serve.