Saint John adds a green focus to industrial park plan
CBC
Saint John has revised its controversial plan to expand the Spruce Lake Industrial Park, shifting the focus to attracting businesses from the green and clean sectors and not heavy industry.
Lorneville residents opposed the expansion of the nearby park out of fears for the environment and community life, but the latest draft plan would prohibit any businesses from an "emitting" industry, such as one with smokestacks.
The plan originally focused on making hundreds of hectares "pad ready" and redesignating the area for potential heavy industrial use, but did not specify sectors.
The changes follow feedback a task force gathered from residents of the community on the southwestern edge of Saint John, which the city heard "loud and clear," said David Dobbelsteyn, the city's director of growth and community services.
"We're very confident … we actually have a proposal here that sort of meets the needs the communities are looking for in terms of feeling more secure and protecting the environment," Dobbelsteyn said.
"But also ensuring that we create venues for more jobs and more growth for the region that's in desperate need of it."
At a media event this week, two development groups spoke in support of new proposal, saying the city is seeing global investment interest from green and clean businesses but needs readily available land to accommodate them quickly.
"Clean and green energy, green manufacturing, data centres, warehouses — there's all kinds of interest from different industries," Ian MacKinnon, director of Saint John Industrial Parks, said this week at a media event about Spruce Lake.
MacKinnon and Envision Saint John's CEO Andrew Beckett both said the need for the land for these industries is critical because many interested businesses won't wait if they have to go through a complicated rezoning process.
"You would be adding months, if not years, to the process," Beckett said. "Businesses will say we can go elsewhere. They want certainty in terms of where they're going to be."
In October, the city hit the breaks on the original plan for the Spruce Lake expansion because of the concerns raised by residents.
Although the city created a task force for discussion with residents, the pushback escalated as the meetings continued over the winter.
One last meeting was held April 23, and the updated proposal was posted on the city's planning website Shape Your City on Friday.
As part of its argument for the expansion, the city says companies typically require 40 hectares per site for development, but property that size is not available or properly zoned elsewhere in the city.
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