[Moncton] Shediac Developments

[MonctonRad]

Shediac mega-campground boundaries redrawn, avoiding wetland
Newly posted documents suggest proposal scaled down to 542 sites from up to 700
Shane Magee · CBC News · Posted: Feb 13, 2019 5:30 PM AT | Last Updated: an hour ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...lans-1.5017663

Plans for a large campground in Shediac have been scaled down to avoid wetlands as the designs continue through a provincial environmental impact assessment.

A conceptual plan posted online this month in response to the ongoing environmental assessment shows the site with 542 serviced campsites, a drop from up to 700 sites previously proposed.

In 2017, the province released a map after the campground's original plans were drawn up showing about one-third of the site is considered wetland.

The newly released documents say the developer has removed much of the wetland area from the project footprint.

"The project is now significantly set back as demonstrated in the revised concept plan," a document says. "In any wetland areas that cannot be avoided, mitigation measures will be recommended to ensure no net loss of wetland functions."

The newly released environmental assessment documents include a traffic study recommending a change to Main Street. The mayor said changes, if required, will be considered by the town.

The study by engineering firm WSP assumed 650 campsites, larger than what's now proposed. It suggests adding an eastbound left-turn lane on Main Street at the proposed main entrance to the campground.

With the turning lane, "trips generated by development of the site are not expected to have a significant impact" on traffic in the area, the study says.

The land in question (the forested land in the middle of the aerial photo above) is strategically located between the Parlee Beach access road and the main road to the Pointe du Chene Wharf.

[MonctonRad]

New Kent store under construction near the RCMP barracks off of the Ohio Road.


Image from Retail Talk & Share

[PEI highway guy]

Cape Bald Packers processing plant in Cap Pele is on fire. I have seen the pictures and it looks like the plant will burn to the ground.

[PEI highway guy]

the story I Just read states the plant is likely a total loss. I believe this is the second plant fire for this company this winter.

[MonctonRad]

Victor Boudreau's campground project has made it to CCD Canada:

NEW CAMPGROUND

Located in Shediac, Pointe-du-Chêne, this project estimated at $3 319 000 is in the planning stage, pending approvals and public consultations. Works concern construction of a mega campground of 542 place, a swimming pool, playground, recreation room offering all services. The early selection of a Construction Manager brings the knowledge, skill and experience of a contractor to a team of Initiators, Architects and Consultants during the pre construction phase.

• Information: INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS

[JHikka]

It's not just any campground - it's a mega campground.

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by JHikka

It's not just any campground - it's a mega campground.

Very Trumpian of them lol

[MonctonRad]

New Kent store in Shediac, coming along...........


Retail Talk & Share photo.

[MonctonRad]

Goji's is apparently reopening at a new location at 334 Main Street in Shediac.

[PEI highway guy]

Are they doing any work on the twining Highway 11 yet?? Will they be doing anything?

[DTBourque]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Victor Boudreau's campground project has made it to CCD Canada:

It may always be known as Victor Boudreau's campground, but for what it's worth, he forfeited his stake about two years ago.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...ound-1.4115906

[DTBourque]

Originally Posted by PEI highway guy

Are they doing any work on the twining Highway 11 yet?? Will they be doing anything?

There's a bit of confusion about this. The new PC government has sent mixed messages about their intentions for Route 11.

They cancelled it in their Capital Budget, then the Finance Minister announced they'd complete some of it in the Budget, then the Infrastructure Minister said not really the next day, then there were further clarifications by the Finance Minister, and more clarifications/comments have been made since.

It seems like the intention is to twin at least some of Route 11 towards Bouctouche without twinning any of the bridges. It seems like the timeline is not entirely clear with some of the work being done sooner and some being done later or being more aspirational with no timeline.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...edge-1.5065596

Full disclosure, I've been quite involved with the Liberal Party - but what I wrote above is my honest-to-God best and non-partisan understanding of where this is at.

If I had to guess what is going on based on my experience of politics and government, here it is -

The current government's highest priority by far is achieving and maintaining budgetary balance.

Shortly after forming government, relatively large cuts were made in the Capital Budget. Cancelling or delaying multi-million dollar projects is by far the easiest way to achieve balance immediately. Route 11 is/was costly, so it fell on the chopping block here.

But I don't think the government is totally against improvements Route 11. They seem to be willing to spend some money on it.

Many of the projects in the Capital Budget, including Route 11, had major federal funding. Apparently, no heads up was given to the feds before the cuts were announced. All the approved federal funding fell through when the project as approved was cancelled.

To proceed with improvements, the government has to figure out how much it is willing to do/spend and they have to get it approved again by the feds. Because how much they are willing to do/spend is so tightly wound up with achieving and maintaining balance (i.e. all the sources of revenue and all other expenditures), I think it might be especially hard to commit. For the same reason, Ministers' spending priorities are less clear than they might be under usual circumstances and they are less likely to all be on the same page about next steps.

[DTBourque]

The proposal for the campground is now down to 111 lots. It was originally 750 in 2014 and then 550.

(article in French):
https://www.acadienouvelle.com/actua...ping-inquiete/

[MonctonRad]

CBC article about the same meeting:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...ncil-1.5188750

Quite a change from their original plans. I don't think there is too much to object to in this revised proposal.........

[DTBourque]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

CBC article about the same meeting:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...ncil-1.5188750

Quite a change from their original plans. I don't think there is too much to object to in this revised proposal.........

I can't wrap my head around going from 550 to 110. I'd probably just give up before going that far if I was a developer.

The changes caught people by surprise at the meeting, so it remains to be seen whether they'll ultimately be okay with them.

Lots of different concerns have been voiced about this project, but I think there are two big things that make people fearful - the City's relative inability to address congestion on Main Street and questions surrounding the water quality at Parlee Beach. If that climate didn't exist, I think the reaction to the project would be different.

[Taeolas]

Quite the drop.

I do wonder if he's planning to nickle and dime them back up to 500-ish slots in the future.

Get the 100-slot campground built and developed so he cna start making money on it and judging demand. And then in a few years, look to upgrade to 150 or 175 slots.... a few years after that go for 225, etc....

[DTBourque]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Quite the drop.

I do wonder if he's planning to nickle and dime them back up to 500-ish slots in the future.

Get the 100-slot campground built and developed so he cna start making money on it and judging demand. And then in a few years, look to upgrade to 150 or 175 slots.... a few years after that go for 225, etc....

If it's a similar plan with essentially just 4/5 of the lots just not being developped, then a gradual approach might work for everybody.

It's unclear from what I've read whether it's that, though, because there's talk of new features to mitigate the environmental impact of the project.

[L'homard]

They can spout all the environmental BS they want about a 111 spot campground. For certain their plan is now to get a small campground approved and then build it up as time goes on. Victor and his camping buddies should have used the same tactic but did not do so, at their own peril. Just for the record, I don't object to even the original mega-campground plan. I have no problem with a campground at that location. But if anyone thinks the developers will be happy with 111 lots, then come and see me I have a monorail in Ogdenburg they might be interested in investing in.

[benvui]

I still think there is a better use of that land than a campground. I no longer live in Shediac but still dream of it being a year round destination. A campground only provides up to 4-5 months of seasonal employment and revenue for the town, the property taxes aren't as high as if there were some sort of commercial development. I know I'm in the minority but I believe there is so much potential in Shediac and putting a campground inside the town limits seems like a waste to me (especially when I'm at the Parlee Beach Campground and it is virtually empty right now)

[Good2go]

New Kent store opens on Saturday.