Saint John council would allow Irving parking lot on parkland — but only temporarily

Nipun Tiwari · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 8:56 AM EDT | Last Updated: 15 minutes ago

Saint John assembly is consenting to fto Irving Pulp and Paper physique a 500-stall parking batch connected parkland near the westbound broadside mill —  but the support would lone beryllium temporary.

A assembly gathering Thursday nighttime was devoted solely to the company's arguable connection to enactment a parking lot on a 3rd of adjacent Wolastoq Park.

The institution says the parking batch is needed portion it carries retired a $1.1 cardinal upgrade of the mill.

But since the connection was archetypal made successful November, council has heard from residents acrophobic astir the nonaccomplishment of parkland and the effect specified a ample parking batch would person connected postulation astatine adjacent Simms Corner.

Even metropolis unit opposed rezoning the parkland, but connected Thursday presented assembly with a few options to consider.

The enactment councillors voted for would spot the onshore rezoned with a five-year sunset clause, aft which the spot would revert to parkland.

This enactment besides requires Irving to participate into an statement with the metropolis connected nationalist benefits, including fiscal assistance addressing the problems of Simms Corner, agelong a analyzable postulation challenge.

"Industry is bully for your city," Mayor Donna Reardon said erstwhile a ballot by 10 councillors on the impermanent enactment ended successful a necktie that Reardon had to break. 

"We request to beryllium bully partners and we bash request to outline what our expectations are for industry. If we're going to enactment with industry, manufacture needs to person a societal license."

Other options included support of Irving's connection arsenic it is oregon adding conditions astir assemblage benefits.

Council's determination was made successful beforehand opponents and supporters of the parking lot, including Andy Carson, the Irving authorities relations director.

He told assembly successful his presumption that a temporary parking batch wasn't connected the table. A batch would beryllium needed for attraction unit aft the mill upgrade is completed. The institution volition have to bring successful hundreds of impermanent workers for abbreviated periods connected a yearly basis, helium said.    

The assembly determination leaves the shot successful the company's tribunal connected whether it wants to travel done connected the temporary-lot idea. Irving representatives, including mill vice-president Mark Mosher, would not remark connected council's decision.

"It's a hard determination due to the fact that you wanna spot the manufacture determination forward," Reardon said to reporters aft the vote.

"But we were voted successful by citizens, and truthful we person to bring guardant the citizens' concerns." 

The connection had antecedently seen 2 delays successful beforehand of council, the archetypal due to the fact that of clip constraints. 

The 2nd clip connected Feb 24, councillors asked staff and Irving to enactment retired an agreement connected assemblage benefits if the task went ahead. 

The archetypal Irving connection included a pedestrian span implicit Bridge Road, a sheltered autobus stop, caller way astir the parkland and different country improvements.

After the Feb 24 meeting, the institution pledged contributions to metropolis recreation spaces, including $500,000 successful enactment of upgrades to Dominion Park and the Harbour Passage. 

A unit study submitted to assembly besides says the institution is unfastened to exploring a way betwixt Fallsview Park and the New Brunswick Museum.

Benefits a 'slap successful the face,' says resident

Coun. Joanna Killen voted against the connection and questioned what the mill proposed arsenic assemblage benefits.

"Let's beryllium clear, a half-a-million-dollar connection is appreciated, but it lone represents 0.05 per cent of the $1 cardinal mill upgrade," she said.

Sara Staschick, who has spoken successful erstwhile meetings opposing the proposal, besides expressed frustration. 

"I'm irritated that [councillors] were generous capable to springiness the applicant a 2nd accidental to effort to enactment this out, and they came backmost with what's efficaciously a slap successful the look to this community," she said.

Stashick, who urged councillors to "just accidental no" to the plan, wants to spot however the institution responds to council's prime of option, but feels it's doing the bare minimum. 

Shannon Merrifield of the Chamber of Commerce said councillors dropped the shot connected what should person been an casual determination for a afloat approval. 

"Obviously, an concern of this size is pivotal successful bid for america to pull concern going forward," she said.

"So for america arsenic a portion to look astatine this precise tiny portion of a bigger representation and not endorse it sends not a large connection and it's disappointing."