Backlash from Quispamsis residents over a proposed commercial development along the Gondola Point Arterial.
Propertystar wants to rezone 42 acres of land between Monarch Drive and Hampton Road from residential to highway commercial.
The proposal includes an office space and retail warehouse-style business, along with potential big-box stores.
More than a dozen area residents spoke out against the plans during a public hearing Tuesday night. Two petitions with more than 200 signatures in total were also presented to council.
Michael Bone said when he and his wife moved their family to Quispamsis in 2020, they chose the area because of the peace and quiet.
“If we wanted to be close to retail big-box stores and fast-food restaurants, we would have moved to east Saint John,” Bone told council.
Mark Hatfield, president of Propertystar, has said that increasing economic development is a way to attract and retain residents, especially in the 25-to-44 age group.
According to the town’s traffic study master plan, Quispamsis is seeing fewer people in the 25-to-44 age group and more people in the 65+ age group, he said.
But Justin Burchell, who has lived on Monarch Drive for the past 12 years, does not agree with that sentiment.
“All of the young families I know chose to live here because it doesn’t have big-box stores in our backyard,” said Burchell.
“The nice thing about Quispamsis, if I want to go to a big-box store, I can nearly drive 10 minutes [to Saint John] and be there.”
Renderings of a proposed commercial development in Quispamsis. (Image submitted)
Brandon Howland said he and his fiancée live in one of the properties that would be most impacted by the development.
“It doesn’t make sense to rezone residential land to commercial space. There’s plenty of commercial land for purchase in the Quispamsis area. The area of the proposed development is residential and I believe it should stay as such,” said Howland.
Some of the most common concerns raised by residents included increased traffic, a loss of privacy, and noise and light pollution.
The current proposal includes extending Phinney Lane through the proposed development so it would connect with the Arterial.
Residents also raised concerns about the potential for water contamination with plans to drill wells for the first phase of the development. Further phases would require municipal water to be extended to the site.
Phase one of the development would include an office space and retail warehouse-style business, according to town documents — potentially the central office for the Homestar group of companies.
Further phases would likely include food service and retail developments, including the potential for big-box stores.
Hatfield said the development would bring a lot of positives for Quispamsis, adding there is a need for larger commercial areas in the town.
“With what’s on Millennium Drive, there’s no large parcels of land for large stores to come in to develop growth. This is something here where we can take this piece of property, look at having the larger stores,” he said.
Hatfield said the development would promote community growth, job creation, and tax base expansion, among other things.
Council passed first reading of the rezoning and asked Hatfield to come back with modified plans which address resident concerns.
