Image from brochure Ethos Ridge developers handed out to Millidgeville residents. For illustrative purposes only. Image: Submitted.
A public hearing on a controversial proposed development in Millidgeville brought more than 20 speakers before Common Council on Monday night.
The Ethos Ridge development is a proposed 120-unit ‘luxury’ residential retirement community slated for construction on Sandy Point Road.
Despite hearing from many speakers in support and opposing the project, councillors passed the first and second readings of the required rezonings to continue the development process.
Developer Scott Walton is leading the Ethos Ridge project. He says they’ve heard the objections from neighbours and are working to meet those concerns.
“We spent over 100 hours consulting the neighbourhood, and mostly listening to their concerns and questions,” Walton said.
He says they bought extra land in order to avoid needing to use Pelton Road during construction, expanded the traffic survey four times, and implemented several traffic-calming measures.
The development was also moved further away from Pelton Road to reduce resident concerns over visibility and noise pollution.
However, many residents spoke vehemently against the Ethos Ridge project.
Colin Forsythe is a local environmental scientist, who says dozens of at-risk species would be impacted by the building.
“I engaged with the New Brunswick Nature Trust, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and Environment Canada. They all identified this area as a priority area for habitat conservation,” Forsythe said.
He said the area’s biodiversity is vulnerable to developments like the proposed retirement community.
Brenda Rolfe also lives in the neighbourhood and says they’re concerned for the water near the development, and especially a sewage pipe that would be built into the river.
“This will result in raw sewage being discharged into the Kennebecasis River,” Rolfe said. “This current would most likely direct fecal matter into the cove and onto the beach.”
City staff said the developer would be required to build a private sewer lift station to redirect wastewater to the city’s wastewater system.
Common Council’s approval of the development would be contingent on the developer’s ability to meet a five-year ‘sunset clause,’ whereby the city can revoke the land’s rezoning designation if work is not completed within five years.
