Saint John mayor defends effort to compromise with Irving over controversial parking lot
Donna Reardon says council aimed for a fair and balanced decision after hours of hearings
Saint John council has come under fire from a business group for proposing a compromise on J.D. Irving Ltd.'s request to replace parkland with a parking lot near its west side pulp mill.
Council recently decided it could agree to rezoning the parkland for five years, so people working on a $1.1 billion upgrade at Irving Pulp and Paper have a place to park.
The proposed temporary rezoning brought public criticism from Shannon Merrifield, CEO of the Saint John Chamber of Commerce, who said businesses need long-term assurance, and council was sending the wrong message to investors.
But Mayor Donna Reardon is standing behind what she called a difficult decision for council.
"We'd like to think that we've approached this thoughtfully, and we'd like to think that we've been fair about this and gathered as much information as we could," she said in an interview Thursday.
"We've heard from everybody. We've been through three public hearings. It's been a lot, but we'd like to think that we have done our very best to evaluate the application, to look at the impacts and to go forward. And it's not easy."
JDI had requested a third of Wolastoq Park, built on land the company owns, be rezoned so it could build a 500-stall parking lot. The company wasn't interested in temporary rezoning and withdrew its application the day after council's meeting last Thursday.
JDI said it plans to reapply for rezoning in the future, but for now will find other options for parking.
City staff were not in favour of the rezoning, and residents expressed concern about the loss of green space, the impact on quality of life, traffic congestion and the already problematic Simms Corner intersection.
When JDI didn't get its way, Merrifield, CEO of the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce, issued a statement expressing disappointment with the city. The issue represents a "test of Saint John's readiness to embrace growth, welcome investment and support economic momentum for real, lasting progress," the statement said.
Reardon responded with an open letter on Wednesday to clarify that the council's decision was an attempt at compromise and to confirm the city is pro-growth. Council supports the pulp mill's upgrade, known as NextGen, and what it means to the local economy.
"Council's role is to represent all Saint John residents, taxpayers, and landowners," Reardon wrote. "While the Chamber
speaks for the business community, Council must weigh broader considerations, including community
impacts, land use planning, safety, transportation infrastructure, and the preservation of public spaces."
Mayor says decision was about fairness
Reardon said in her letter that the council decision came down to trying to strike a balance between supporting big business and protecting the interests of residents and taxpayers.
"Council has the power to do what they believe is best for the city and overrule staff if they believe that that's what should be done," she said.
"We have a process in place and we need to stick with that process. Our job is to look at every application that comes and evaluate it based on the parameters that we're asked to do what's best for the city of Saint John."
The mayor said that under the council proposal, the land's future use could be reviewed in five years, and the company could make another application then.
She also said that Jim Irving, the CEO of J.D. Irving, acknowledged when he appeared before council, that the company's future needs could be different, and it might ask for a rezoning based on business realities at that time
Although council was never voting to reject or approve NextGen, Merrifield suggested otherwise.
"With the looming threat of new tariffs and growing global economic uncertainty, any community would welcome a $1.5 billion investment as a signal of confidence in their future. The question is — will Saint John?"
J.D. Irving has also complained, claiming it was facing unreasonable restrictions on their proposal.
Reardon said the road to success is paved with good partnerships and that healthy debate is a sign of a healthy community.
"Moving forward, let's continue working together as business leaders, residents, and city officials to ensure Saint John's growth benefits everyone" she said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
