[Moncton] Northwest/Magnetic Hill Developments

[MonctonRad]

Interesting Huddle article about a lively two hour discussion at Moncton PAC regarding this proposed apartment building on Ivey Road (off Hildegarde).



https://huddle.today/90-unit-apartme...oKJma0uiAjCt0o

This quoted section is of interest:

The development is located in a cul de sac, close to other CG Group properties. CG Group owns two 68-unit apartment buildings and two 16-unit properties on the same road.

A traffic study was undertaken for the development. It recommended that traffic lights are put in place on Ivy and Hildegard streets, and for the city to upgrade the intersection at Hildegard and Mountain Rd., which should happen before the lights are put in.

So, in addition to CG Groups existing apartment buildings on Ivy, this will bring the total number of apartment units in a relatively confined space to 258 units.

I usually have little respect for NIMBYs, but in this case I think they have some valid concerns about congestion on Ivy, which is really a narrow two lane cul-de-sac.

I see that the city is recommending a new street light at the intersection of Ivy & Hildegarde, and is recommending upgrades to the Hildegarde/Mountain Road intersection as well, which is also heavily congested especially during the morning commute.

I am not sure what the city has in mind for the Hildegarde/Mountain intersection. I can't imagine that they have the room to add another lane to Mountain Road. I suppose they could put in two right turning lanes on Hildegarde to help deal with morning congestion, and perhaps lengthen the westbound left turning lane on Mountain Road for evening commuters, but that's probably about it.

Personally, I think it's time to seriously consider evicting the Marsh Trailer Park immediately to the west of Ivy, and in behind the Mountain Road ANBL. Most of the trailers in this park are in woeful condition, and this land would be better utilized to create a new roadway connecting Glencairn with Mountain Road at Sheraton Green. This would give the neighbourhood an extra access/egress point, and might decrease the pressure on Hildegarde. It would also open up more land for development where the Marsh Trailer Park used to be.

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Interesting Huddle article about a lively two hour discussion at Moncton PAC regarding this proposed apartment building on Ivey Road (off Hildegarde).



https://huddle.today/90-unit-apartme...oKJma0uiAjCt0o

This quoted section is of interest:



So, in addition to CG Groups existing apartment buildings on Ivy, this will bring the total number of apartment units in a relatively confined space to 258 units.

I usually have little respect for NIMBYs, but in this case I think they have some valid concerns about congestion on Ivy, which is really a narrow two lane cul-de-sac.

I see that the city is recommending a new street light at the intersection of Ivy & Hildegarde, and is recommending upgrades to the Hildegarde/Mountain Road intersection as well, which is also heavily congested especially during the morning commute.

I am not sure what the city has in mind for the Hildegarde/Mountain intersection. I can't imagine that they have the room to add another lane to Mountain Road. I suppose they could put in two right turning lanes on Hildegarde to help deal with morning congestion, and perhaps lengthen the westbound left turning lane on Mountain Road for evening commuters, but that's probably about it.

Personally, I think it's time to seriously consider evicting the Marsh Trailer Park immediately to the west of Ivy, and in behind the Mountain Road ANBL. Most of the trailers in this park are in woeful condition, and this land would be better utilized to create a new roadway connecting Glencairn with Mountain Road at Sheraton Green. This would give the neighbourhood an extra access/egress point, and might decrease the pressure on Hildegarde. It would also open up more land for development where the Marsh Trailer Park used to be.

Yes Marsh trailer park is low end. And it is prime land for another road in & out from Mountain Road. But how could they evict them?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

Yes Marsh trailer park is low end. And it is prime land for another road in & out from Mountain Road. But how could they evict them?

Well, the city could purchase the trailer park, or even work with the province to expropriate the land, but that leaves the city with the messy business of evicting all the trailer park residents which would bring all the SJWs in Moncton out of the woodwork, and would make all the politicians squirm.

The best case scenario would be for the owner to declare he is closing the trailer park, and give the residents notice that they have to move their trailers before a certain date. After a respectful period of time, the owner could sell the land to a private developer, who could work in concert with the city to develop a plan for high density residential, with roadways integrated into the neighbourhood street grid so as to facilitate neighbourhood and commuter traffic flow. The politicians would be quite pleased with this scenario.

I have never had any issues with the trailer park being there, but given the fact that it is now surrounded by subdivisions, and is blocking the development of an effective street grid, and leading to problems such as the congestion on Hildegarde, it is time for the trailer park to go.

[Taeolas]

Is there another block of land that the city could use to propose a land swap with the park owner, with the condition that all current residents be able to move to the new one? That might be one of the faster ways to get the park cleared out without being political suicide; though the NIMBYs might come out of the woodwork at whatever the new location would be.

*Edit* Google counting, I can see about 125ish trailers in that park. That's not an insignificant amount of people to move in any case. It's doable, but it might be too pricey both in dollars and in political costs to be worth doing.

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Is there another block of land that the city could use to propose a land swap with the park owner, with the condition that all current residents be able to move to the new one? That might be one of the faster ways to get the park cleared out without being political suicide; though the NIMBYs might come out of the woodwork at whatever the new location would be.

Yeah forcing them out would cause a big backlash. Even if it's a land swap it's still forcing them to move. But looking at the map, this is such a strategic piece of land. It could be used to help traffic flow and also be developed more densely. The trailer park does not fit very well here at all. All that being said, I can't see anything happening with it. Not even sure if this is on anyone's radar.

[PEI highway guy]

A while back someone posted that the Magnetic Hill Zoo was planning to build a Safari Park. Does anybody know the status of this project and when it may be completed?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by PEI highway guy

A while back someone posted that the Magnetic Hill Zoo was planning to build a Safari Park. Does anybody know the status of this project and when it may be completed?

I believe some money has been set aside in the 2020 capital budget for the city for work to begin.

[MonctonRad]

This is likely what the street interconnectivity would look like if the Marsh trailer park ceased to exist, and the land redeveloped.



All new roads are in red. Nothing too drastic here. The connectivity would be provided by a short new section of road between Glencairn & Mailhot, and an intersection with "Marsh Street" (for want of a better name). This would allow traffic to flow down Marsh Street to Mountain Road at Sheraton Green, and take the pressure off existing connectors like Lonsdale & Hildegarde.

Of course, the parking lot at the ANBL on Mountain Road would have to be reconfigured, but I think that would be easy to do.

BTW, existing apartment buildings belonging to CG Group (including the new 98 unit property they want to build have been outlined in blue.

[Taeolas]

That configuration seems so obvious, especially with the almost 100 unit project planned for the heart of it, that I find it hard to believe the city doesn't have something like that in mind, but for whatever reasons they aren't showing that yet.

Maybe they're still negotiating with the Marsh trailer park owners behind the scenes and can't say anything one way or another yet?

Otherwise I could see them upgrading the existing Marsh street to handle the complex's traffic load, and have it bend to come out at ANBL now, but leave the rest.

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

That configuration seems so obvious, especially with the almost 100 unit project planned for the heart of it, that I find it hard to believe the city doesn't have something like that in mind, but for whatever reasons they aren't showing that yet.

Maybe they're still negotiating with the Marsh trailer park owners behind the scenes and can't say anything one way or another yet?

Otherwise I could see them upgrading the existing Marsh street to handle the complex's traffic load, and have it bend to come out at ANBL now, but leave the rest.

It would make so much sense to relocate the trailer court, although there's no doubt the residents would initially be upset. I hope the city can negotiate an acceptable deal for them, if indeed it's even on the table at this point. Better traffic flow and more density. The city wants densification = better tax base.

[MonctonRad]

Since I envisage "Marsh Street" as mostly apartment buildings (except for the cul-de-sac at the end), maybe one of the ways to get around the bad optics of evicting poor trailer park residents is for the city to work with a developer to mandate a certain percentage of low income rentals in each apartment building built on the street. Perhaps the city could even pitch in a bit on the cost of constructing those units........

[MonctonRad]

Current status of the new commercial building being constructed by Cordova on the NE corner of Mountain & Gorge, behind the RBC


Photo from Retail Talk & Share

[tmacdougall]

I'm not sure if I'm being over sensitive here but I really struggle with the idea of eviction, expropriation or lands swaps due to socio-economic status.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by tmacdougall

I'm not sure if I'm being over sensitive here but I really struggle with the idea of eviction, expropriation or lands swaps due to socio-economic status.

It is a sensitive issue, no question.

To be clear though, this issue is being discussed not because of socioeconomic status, but instead because the presence of the Marsh Trailer Park interferes with the development of a coherent street grid in the neighbourhood, and because redevelopment might ameliorate increasing traffic congestion on Hildegarde.

I have acknowledged how difficult an issue this would be for the city to navigate, and offered some alternatives.

Many of the trailers in the park are in rough shape, and it is possible that many residents might be pleased to be offered alternative arrangements, like subsidized apartments.

In any event, this is all just a thought experiment. There is no indication on anyone's part that the city is even remotely considering doing anything to the Marsh Trailer Park. No one should be concerned that there is anything nefarious going on.......

[MonctonRad]

Article in the T&T today about the recently approved apartment building off of Ivy Road.

1) - although the approval was contingent on CG Group covering half the cost of the traffic signals to be installed at the corner of Ivy & Hildegarde, it is apparently "pointless" to go ahead with the installation at the present time since during the morning rush hour, traffic is usually backed up on Hildegarde well beyond the Ivy Road intersection (usually as far as the Hildegarde fire station).
2) - the real fix will have to be at the Hildegarde/Mountain Road intersection, but planning, design and funding considerations mean that nothing will be done for the next 3-5 years at least.
3) - the article stated that "land would have to be purchased" for the fix, which to me means the city is looking at developing a dedicated right turning lane northbound on Hildegarde at Mountain, which could cut significantly into the parking lot at the Hildegarde Plaza on Mountain Road (depending on how it is designed, and if there is an associated merge lane created on Mountain). Hildegarde Plaza contains four small businesses, including Unisom Computers, Merle Norman, Bella Promessa and Prestige Dry Cleaners. Any loss of parking here could seriously impact on these generally successful businesses.

Another example of the butterfly effect, where a simple change in one part of a system could have far reaching and unexpected ramifications elsewhere.

[Whitites]

Building behind RBC

[riverviewer]

Is there name for the current architectural style of dividing facades to look like separate compartments using a palette of black, white/grey, and beige? Every new building seems to be doing this.

[gehrhardt]

Originally Posted by riverviewer

Is there name for the current architectural style of dividing facades to look like separate compartments using a palette of black, white/grey, and beige? Every new building seems to be doing this.

I don't know about a name for the style, but in this area, they are mostly by the same design firm, Spitfire Design.

[Mapleton_Roadie]

Can anyone tell me what is happening at the plaza where Giant Tiger and Sally Ann is at?
Seems as if GT is relocating and expanding, but is it a No Frills that is going in their old spot?

[DyAm00394]

Originally Posted by Mapleton_Roadie

Can anyone tell me what is happening at the plaza where Giant Tiger and Sally Ann is at?
Seems as if GT is relocating and expanding, but is it a No Frills that is going in their old spot?

Planet Fitness is confirmed for this plaza.
The address is listed as 80 Mapleton Road.
https://www.planetfitness.ca/gyms/moncton-nb


It's going in the unit next to Dollarama. Giant Tiger is staying where it is.