Carleton Park parking lot proposal angers residents

A group of Fredericton residents say they're angry at how the city has gone about planning a parking lot on Carleton Park.

Residents thought they had a chance to object to the project on Wednesday night but their complaints failed to stop the plan to use part of the park for a parking lot.

Bill Depow has lived near Carleton Park for 43 years and he recently discovered that a new parking lot would be built there.

"I was disgusted," he said.

"I said shame on us for taking a park and turning it into a parking lot."

The parking lot, which the city has already approved, will be for the general public and for employees of the new Picaroons brewery.

Fredericton's planning advisory committee met on Wednesday night to give local residents a chance to voice their concerns before a vote on a planning variance for the lot. The committee was going to vote on whether the parking lot could be closer to Union Street than is normally allowed. 

But a new design for the parking lot was presented that would move the parking lot back from the street and that made the vote unnecessary.

Coun. Eric Megarity said residents will get a chance to speak about the new proposal for a parking lot.

John Stubbert lives across from the park and said he is frustrated by how the change was brought in without any notice.

"I don't like the process because this is supposed to be a public process and the only reason you're doing it is to take it out of the public. So I find that a bit disturbing," he said.

Roxana Atkinson also said she feels the process has not given citizens a say in the project.

"It's kind of like, 'Oh well, thank you for giving your view, but we don't make the decison here,'" she said.

"So it actually feels like we've gone and given our opinions to people who can't make any changes."