A controversial Saint John industrial park expansion is heading to the planning advisory committee.
The city is looking to expand the Spruce Lake Industrial Park in Lorneville by around 1,600 acres.
It comes amid a shortage of development-ready land for businesses in the city’s industrial parks.
Several approvals are still required before it can move ahead, including a municipal plan amendment and rezoning.
On Monday night, council voted to send the proposal to PAC in order to get their feedback on the plan.
Mayor Donna Reardon said they understand many residents in the area have concerns about the project.
“I think the community has really come together to make sure that we heard their voice and I’d like to say that we are hearing your voice,” Reardon said during the meeting.
“I think that this council, and the council’s that I’ve sat on, we want to go forward with the voice of people, with the voice of the community. It’s the only way to go forward.”
Dozens of people have written letters to the city outlining their concerns with the proposed expansion. A petition was also submitted with hundreds of signatures.
RELATED: Lorneville residents concerned about industrial park expansion
Adam Wilkins, who is part of the Save Lorneville group, previously said there is a lot of unease and mistrust in the community.
“Lorneville has a long history of residents’ land being expropriated in the late 60s and early 70s for Coleson Cove and other industrial future use,” Wilkins told our newsroom in July.
“A lot of families had to move their houses, give up the places that they lived for industry and they were not always appreciated or respected.”
Wilkins said many unanswered questions about the expansion still remain, such as what sort of industry could be set up in the future.
“Thirty metres behind people’s houses could be a heavy industrial park,” he said. “Heavy industry could be a refinery, it could be an EV battery plant, it could be a relocated [American Iron and Metal].”
Wilkins said residents in the community are also worried about the potential environmental impact of an expansion.
“The area of phase one that they plan to develop, over 50 per cent of that is wetlands, so how is that going to impact that environment? Also, all of the residents in Lorneville are on wells,” he said.
Reardon confirmed that the city has no plans to relocate American Iron and Metal’s scrapyard from its controversial location on the waterfront to Lorneville.
The proposal will go before the planning advisory committee on Oct. 8, which is the next opportunity for public feedback.
A public hearing before council has also been scheduled for Nov. 12.
