Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 29, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B2 B 2 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015 CITY winnipegfreepress. com R E A D E R O F F E R | M I N D G A M E S P U Z Z L E B O O K MIND a publication from the MIND GAMES 45 Puzzles and games to challenge your mind including many made in Manitoba CROSSWORDS .. SODOKU .. WORD SLEUTH .. SCRABBLE KEN KEN .. SODATU .. HIDATO .. BANANAGRAMS AND 40 MORE SEPTEMBER 20, 2014 1 NUMBER $ 2.99 winnipegfreepress. com / subscribe- new/ Call: 204- 697- 7001 | 1- 800- 542- 8900 Email: fpcirc@ winnipegfreepress. com STAY SHARP this SUMMER Time to find a place to relax, put up your feet and challenge yourself with our 40- page weekly puzzle book. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! $ 1 50 / WEEK* Home delivery included For as low as CROSSWORDS SUDOKU WORD SLEUTH SCRABBLE CALCUDOKU JUMBLE HIDATO BANANAGRAMS AND MORE MIND GAMES * If you are a 6- day Winnipeg Free Press subscriber. Rates vary. r e d r i v e r c o o p s p e e d w a y. c a 204.582.0527 952 CARTIER RD, ST ADOLPHE JUST 5 MINUTES SOUTH OF WINNIPEG ON HWY 75 RESERVED SEATING . LICENSED . FULL CONCESSION . FREE PARKING . VIP PARKING DIRECTIONS Adults: $ 15.00 Students: $ 12.00 Seniors ( 65+): $ 12.00 Kids ( Ages 7- 12 ): $ 5.00 6 and under: FREE Admission Tickets available at the gate or at select Red River Co- op Gas Bars AND Grocery Stores! Sponsor ed by Lightning Sprints 4 Cylinders Pure Stocks Street Stocks Midwest Modifieds Modifieds Photos by Tim Johnson http:// tsjphoto. smugmug. com/ Gates open at 6: 00 pm Racing starts at 7: 00 pm Classes Racing: The THUNDER returns this THURSDAY JULY 30 , 2015! R EDEVELOPMENT plans for an inner- city jewelry store are going ahead. A hearing at city hall late Tuesday afternoon gave the green light to Independent Jewellers, overruling objections of the city's planning department. " We're happy with the outcome," said Jeremy Epp following the hearing. He and his brother, Jonathan, are thirdgeneration owners of the business. The future of the 76- year- old business started by the Epp brothers' grandfather had been in doubt when city planners objected to the plan for the redevelopment of the site. Jeremy Epp said he and his brother would be forced to move from their location if the board of adjustment did not allow their proposal to proceed. The current store is located at the northwest corner of Isabel Street and Notre Dame Avenue. The brothers want to replace the existing building with a new one, which would be set farther back from the sidewalk, with a landscaped entranceway and parking lot between the new building and the sidewalk. City planners had rejected the site plans, arguing the neighbourhood plan for the area requires new buildings to be built to the property line, with parking in the rear, as a way of promoting a pedestrian- friendly streetscape. The three- member adjustment board unanimously supported the project, pointing out the overwhelming support from the community and acknowledging the city planners appeared to be the only ones who concluded it didn't comply with the neighbourhood plan. The planning department can appeal the decision of the board to another committee of council, but it wasn't known Tuesday night whether that option is under consideration. Architect Ray Wan disputed the planners' conclusions, arguing the neighbourhood plan was a " guideline" and the proposal complied with the objectives of the neighbourhood plan. Supporters, including Coun. Cindy Gilroy ( Daniel McIntyre), said the jewelry store was vital to the well- being of the neighbourhood and argued the board should not rule against them. Chief city planner Braden Smith said his staff understood the importance of the business to the community but said they could not support the proposal because it was counter to the goals of the neighbourhood plan, adding they didn't believe they had the flexibility to support it. " There's not a lot of discretion in the way the ( neighbourhood) plan is written," Smith said. " We recognize the importance this business has in the community... ( but) our hands are tied." Susan Russell, a private planner hired by the Epps, told the board the site plan enhanced the streetscape, complying with the objectives of the neighbourhood plan. The city planners appeared to be the only opponents to the proposal. They had tried to stop the Epp brothers from having a hearing before the board of adjustment but that was overturned in June by a group of councillors on the property and development committee, which ordered Tuesday's hearing to go ahead. The proposal had been endorsed by the area residents' association, the West End BIZ and two neighbouring property owners. Epp said construction on the $ 3- million, 5,200- square- foot building will start in January or February, with an expected opening date in October 2016. City planners had attempted to throw up a last- minute hurdle to the project, pointing out the city had placed a caveat on the property alerting the owners Isabel Street will eventually be widened, which would require a 14- footwide strip of the business property - eliminating much of the parking lot. Epp said the location of the new store won't be affected by a street widening and added the parking can be redesigned to accommodate the street changes. The board imposed conditions that no permanent structures be constructed within the 14- foot strip the city will need for the Isabel expansion and the final site plan must be approved by the director of the planning, property and development department. aldo. santin@ freepress. mb. ca Jewellers' proposal gets go- ahead The story so far BROTHERS Jeremy and Jonathan Epp, owners of Independent Jewellers, want to build a new $ 3- million store to replace their current building at the northwest corner of Isabel Street and Notre Dame Avenue. The Epps want the building to be set back from the sidewalk, with an entranceway off Notre Dame and a nine- stall parking lot along Isabel. The civic planning department opposes the project on the grounds new buildings in that neighbourhood ( according to the neighbourhood plan) must be built up to the sidewalk, with parking in the rear, to encourage a pedestrian- friendly environment. The planning department initially refused to accept an application from the Epps for a variance and conditional use, which is necessary to allow the proposal to go to a public hearing by the board of adjustment. The Epps appealed the department's refusal to the property and development committee which, in June, overruled the planners and allowed the Epps to ask for the hearing. The hearing took place Tuesday afternoon. The planning department continues to oppose the project as inconsistent with the neighbourhood plan. There is no public opposition to the project. Supporters include two neighbouring businesses, the West End BIZ and the local residents' association. The decision of the board can be appealed to the civic appeals committee. Adjustment board overrules city planners' objection to project By Aldo Santin PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Independent Jewellers has been given the green light to proceed with redevelopment plans for the store at the corner of Notre Dame Avenue and Isabel Street. A WINNIPEG man has turned himself in following the discovery of a body in a burned- out North End home last week. Romeo Ryle, 19, was arrested Monday, two days after a warrant was issued for his arrest following the death of 42- yearold Justin Harvey Chezick, whose body was found in a charred home in the 600 block of Pritchard Avenue. Ryle faces charges of seconddegree murder and arson to property. Chezick's body was found around 7: 30 a. m. July 20 after firefighters extinguished a fire at a Pritchard Avenue home. Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Robert Carver said police hadn't received autopsy results and couldn't confirm Chezick's cause of death. Police don't have to wait for autopsy results to lay charges in a homicide investigation, Carver said. Investigators aren't looking for any other suspects and the homicide investigation is now closed, he said. - staff Suspect in fatal fire arrested WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Firefighters work a house fire on Pritchard Avenue where a man's body was discovered. B_ 02_ Jul- 29- 15_ FP_ 01. indd B2 7/ 28/ 15 11: 03: 53 PM ;