Gananoque council OKs convenience store take-out window

Gananoque town council has approved a pair of key planning decisions that could reshape local business and residential landscapes.

A familiar commercial property at 641 King Street East is set for transformation following council’s approval of a change in use within the existing building. The site, formerly home to a restaurant with a drive-through, will soon house a convenience store, a take-out restaurant, and a take-out window.

Council endorsed the project on March 4, with conditions ensuring compliance with urban service requirements, backflow prevention, and an updated development permit agreement within a year.

The building’s former drive-through lane will now function solely as a pick-up window, without an order speaker, requiring customers to place orders in advance.

The site will retain its 13 parking spaces, refresh its landscaping, and add a newly painted pedestrian walkway leading to a barrier-free entrance.

In a move aimed at addressing Gananoque’s growing housing demand, council also advanced a bylaw amendment supporting additional residential units (ARUs).

The amendment updates the town’s development permit bylaw to allow for detached residential units, often known as secondary suites, with key infrastructure requirements in place.

The planning advisory committee highlighted the importance of separate water and sewer connections for ARUs, ensuring reliability and serviceability while preventing future infrastructure complications. The town’s alleys – often backing onto residential properties – were also identified as potential access points for secondary units, with council noting that maintenance and repair of these alleys should be factored into future budgets.

The bylaw amendment has passed its first and second readings, with final approval expected at a future council meeting.