Quispamsis council has narrowly approved a controversial commercial development proposed along the Gondola Point Arterial.
Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday to rezone 42 acres of land between Monarch Drive and Hampton Road from residential to highway commercial.
Initial plans from the developer, Propertystar, show an office space and retail warehouse-style business on the site, along with potential big-box stores.
More than a dozen area residents spoke out against the plans during a public hearing in March. Two petitions with more than 200 signatures in total were also presented to council.
Propertystar president Mark Hatfield was asked to come back to council in June with modified plans that addressed resident concerns.
Hatfield said he increased the buffer between nearby homes to 25 metres from 15 metres, which includes 8.5 metres of natural habitat. He also incorporated a six-metre embankment to reduce noise for nearby properties.
A staff report said the developer also plans to incorporate more environmentally protected areas into the project. Some areas will remain unaltered, while others will become bioswales to aid in stormwater management and protection of the existing ecosystems.
Despite the changes put forward, three of six councillors allowed to vote reject third and final reading of the rezoning application on Tuesday night, forcing Mayor Libby O’Hara to cast the final vote.
“I do think that this parcel of land should remain some form of residential,” Coun. Noah Donovan said in his decision to vote against the project, describing it as a “very turbulent process” for him.
Coun. Kerrie Luck said she wants the town to prosper and welcomes new development, but worries about the impact this project would have on nearby residents.
Others, like Coun. Kirk Miller, felt the developer has addressed the concerns put forward by most residents in the area.
“There’s always going to be a couple of people that are not happy at the end and I get that. I’m still voting yes because I think he has done exactly what we have asked,” said Miller.
Coun. Mike Biggar also voted in favour of the project, but expressed concerns ahead of the final vote.
Biggar said there is no way to know what businesses would become part of the development once the rezoning is approved.
“That’s OK in the general sense, that’s what commercial development is,” he said. “But I can’t find any way to reconcile how we guarantee that anybody subsequent who would come to occupy one of those spots would be as concerned about the neighbours as Mr. Hatfield seems to have been.”
Dwight Colbourne, municipal planning officer for the town, said any developments on the site would be subject to a separate development agreement and would have to go through a planning review process.
Any variances from the current bylaw requirements would have to go through the planning advisory committee, he said, and residents would have the chance to present any concerns to PAC members.
Mayor Libby O’Hara, who cast the tie-breaking vote to approve the rezoning, said she is convinced this development will be an excellent addition to the town and will blend with the surroundings.
“The growth and development of the municipality should align with our strategic plan and this is what I see this evening,” said O’Hara. “As mayor, I believe that solid community and business decisions should be and are made for the betterment of the entire town.”
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