A victory for those opposed to potential development in Rockwood Park in Saint John.
Common Council voting 6-4 tonight to halt a controversial plan to rezone 1671 Sandy Point Road from park to mid-rise residential.
The proposed re-zoning was on the agenda so council could decide whether to forward it to the Planning Advisory Committee for a report.
But councillor Gary Sullivan introduced a motion to stop the process, saying there was simply too much public opposition.
Council received nearly 200 public submissions related to the controversial plan, with most people saying there were against rezoning the city-owned land.
Victory! A 6 to 4 vote at Council meeting has terminated the process to consider developing a piece of Rockwood Park. Thanks to all who supported the park and spoke up to protect it. Now go out and continue enjoy this incredibly amazing park!@cityofsaintjohn @sjcycing
— Save Rockwood Park (@rockwoodparkNB) January 16, 2018
Sullivan says it doesn’t make sense to spend more money on the project when the city is looking at service reductions in other areas.
But other councillors, like Blake Armstrong, wanted to see the proposal make its way to the Planning Advisory Committee.
“Then we make an informed decision from all the parties and the information. I don’t think that’s unreasonable for anybody, whether you’re for [the proposal] or against it,” says Armstrong.
It was a similar response from councillor David Merrithew, who says terminating the project this soon shows that the city is closed for business.
“Go through the process first, let’s see where it brings us, there will be a vote sooner or later on this. This is not where to stop it, it’s unfair to the city, it’s unfair to staff’s efforts so far,” says Merrithew.
Mayor Don Darling also disagreed with the decision to halt the process, saying that every option needs to be reviewed as the city struggles with its finances.
“Look, I respect every citizen in this city, but I try to represent the majority, and I’m not sure the majority was represented tonight,” says Darling.
Darling says many compromises were made to address public concerns, including the drafting of a special zone to give council more say about what’s developed on the land.
He says many of the options being considered to address the city’s “financial tsunami” are becoming untouchable, and he’s really concerned about that.
A preliminary review of the property was launched last year after an economic growth strategy said that developing municipal property on Sandy Point Road could help increase tax-based growth in the city.
