Posted Oct 26, 2018, 12:10 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: St. John's, NL
Posts: 2,711
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'It will destroy our neighbourhood': Mount Pearl residents blast development plans
Quote:
Proposal aims to turn suburban area into dense, mixed-use neighbourhood
A group of Mount Pearl residents are decrying a proposal to turn an untouched area around Kenmount Hill into a bustling mixed-zone neighbourhood.
In a public hearing Thursday, the city said its plan, which includes conservation zones for the area's wetlands and high-density zones for housing, is "critical" for Mount Pearl's continued growth.
But locals say throwing up stores and busy streets — in one instance, just metres away from a beloved playground — will deteriorate their quality of life in the now-sleepy subdivisions near Wyatt Road.
"It will destroy our neighbourhood," said Bonnie O'Rourke, a resident who said she devoted months to understanding the studies undertaken as part of the city's development scheme.
Chief among her grievances is the addition of collector roads and roundabouts through residential streets.
That design, she said, is a transit-first "densification scheme" better suited for large cities.
"You have metro, and trains, subways, buses," she said. "It's being used in Montreal and Toronto and Calgary and Ottawa. And this is the scheme they want to put on the top of Kenmount Hill."
The city projects traffic in the area to increase by over 3,000 cars a day.
he plan will rezone the low-density area to make way for developments that will allow buildings up to 230 metres in height.
And although residents worry about encroaching on nearby wetlands, the city said it won't allow any construction within 30 metres of a protected area.
Council adopted the plan in early October after what it called an "unprecedented" level of public engagement, which included mailed flyers and newspaper ads.
O'Rourke, in contrast, says the city could have done more to involve locals, criticizing its "lack of due diligence" in informing residents about the proposal.
She expects a final vote in coming weeks.
Suburban dreams, dashed?
Meaghan Keough, a single mother and social worker, lives on one of the three roads targeted for expansion.
She said she dreamed of owning a home on a quiet street for her son, who likes playing ball hockey and hanging out in the communal playground.
Keough said she's not opposed to people "developing on their rightfully-owned land," but fears the proposal has gone overboard.
"They're dismantling one community to build a shiny new one, and we kind of would like our neighbourhood to remain untouched," she said.
"You're tearing apart what we've already created."
O'Rourke, whose speech Thursday drew applause — and multiple requests from residents to give her more time at the podium — had strong words for the city if developers break ground as planned.
"I will absolutely move if this goes ahead," she said. "My house will be for sale."
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfo...hill-1.4879022
Her description sounds lovely to me lol
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