Park rezoning passes second reading - Jun. 30, 2010
BY KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca
ST. STEPHEN - Just the facts.
That’s what Mayor Jed Purcell wants council to consider when deciding whether to approve the rezoning of Granville Park.
If the parkland is rezoned, a partnership between two local developers – Disher Developments and Hill’s Point Holdings – has been granted the option to purchase the property.
They want to build a 30-unit apartment complex for seniors.
Monday night, in front of a standing-room only audience in council chambers, councillors voted to approve second reading of two bylaws, one that would amend its municipal plan bylaw and a second to amend its zoning bylaw, revising the 0.8-hectare Granville Park from a parks and recreation designation to that of integrated development.
Coun. Gavin Toumishey was the lone dissenting vote on the two motions.
“Based on the public hearings and after reviewing the information, I could not, in good conscience, support this motion,” said Toumishey.
In light of questions raised by council Monday night, the mayor decided to have the opponents and proponents of the project meet with town staff.
“We will bring the group together to see if there is any middle ground,” said John Ferguson, the town’s chief administrative officer (CAO), saying council could not be part of that process.
Ferguson said he would ask those attending that meeting what they would expect from the project should it go forward and if it became a dead issue,what opportunities there would be for the project to move forward on another property.
The CAO was also directed by the mayor to look at other properties available to see if any would suit the developers’ needs.
Those interested in attending such a meeting were asked to leave their names and phone numbers with the town clerk.
The mayor stressed to the public at the meeting that council had not yet made up its mind on the rezoning, but that he was very aware of the serious need for seniors’ housing in the community. He said he felt there were still a lot of people who were not speaking up.
“I think we should check the water a little longer and make sure what’s being said about this property are really the facts. And if we can’t have third reading next month, we’ll have third reading the following month because I think we have to do the right thing for the town.”
The mayor said he didn’t want the public to think council was trying to rush something through “because that is not the case.”
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