The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

They said there were 7 city owned yellow zones and 1 provincial. Where these are remains, apparently, a secret to all.

They were also very clear during the meeting that permission is assumed from private landowners as the default. The deputy mayor brought up a small piece of vacant land, owned by who knows who-- across the street from his suburban house (IIRC in Millidgeville) where people walk their dogs, etc-- that is not an official park, or even city-owned. City staff affirmed that camps will be OK there, until the landowner objects, or substantial crime and filth accumulate and the police have to get involved.

Looks like a portion of the Belyea Arena property could be one of those city owned properties... if it hasn't been sold to that private developer yet? I think the residents of Fundy Heights will freak TF out if a tent city pops up in that field behind the arena.

Based on the map from the .PPT on the previous page and the "All areas not coloured Red or Green are "Yellow Zones" label beside said map... huge swaths of the West Side and Millidgeville are considered "Yellow Zones".



Here's a map that shows the most densely populated 3km radius in Saint John:



The West Side, North End, Millidgeville huge disproportionately huge areas of "Yellow Zones" within their communities compared to the Uptown core, where the homeless epidemic is most prevalent in Saint John today.

I think Greg Norton, the lone councillor to vote against this plan, could run for mayor and defeat Mayor Reardon, if and when, this "plan" turns out to be a debacle for residents in neighbourhoods outside the Uptown core... but I doubt he wants the job / pay decrease. Maybe his brother, and former mayor, Mel Norton will make a comeback?

Outside of Ward 3, I could see the remaining remaining 7 councillors being voted out in the next election, because of their votes for this plan. I really hope the city does have a plan to make this work without adversely impacting residential neighbourhoods outside the Uptown core, but based on what we've seen from the map so far... I could see this plan turning into an unmitigated disaster before the next municipal election.

[cdnguys]

Anyone else kinda surprised at how well the retail sector is expanding in SJ? In the past few months probably a dozen or more restaurants opened, 7 or 8 of them out east. Stores planning on opening not in other locations (typically they’ll go to Moncton or Dieppe first like Plato’s closet, Dollar Tree, JYSK, NoFrills, The Body Shop). And empty buildings suddenly fully occupied like old TJ, IOL commercial centre on union and crown, CFM on Thorne, GreenFoot occupying the old Eastern Bakeries HQ on Consumers Dr, top floor of former government building in Forest Hills leased (apparently an insurance company that requires a physical office to do business in Canada), Brunswick Sq getting tenants and the list goes on. Seems like a lot of confidence in the city, and I feel we may have had another record 4% population growth like we did last year.

[bingun]

There has definitely been a surge this year, a lot of new restaurants, many of which popped up at short notice. Meanwhile, we are supposed to be in a recession with consumers struggling.

Off the top of my head -

• Zesty Lemon Location #2
• Osmow's
• Amritsari
• Noodlebox
• Chopshaven
• Stacked Pancake House (East + West)
• Firehouse Subs (East + West)
• Sumac & Thyme
• Umami Kid (opening shortly, according to fb)
• Suwanna

I would have laughed a few years ago if you'd told me almost all the retail units on the east side near the mall were occupied. How many are still vacant now?

[bingun]

Interactive Red Zone Map

https://saintjohn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/i...l?appid=111cf63751a4414382575e905fa6a280

I can't see any city-owned land on the peninsula that is not red, except Tin Can Beach. Maybe by the causeway? I am not sure who owns that.

[cdnguys]

Originally Posted by bingun

There has definitely been a surge this year, a lot of new restaurants, many of which popped up at short notice. Meanwhile, we are supposed to be in a recession with consumers struggling.

Off the top of my head -

• Zesty Lemon Location #2
• Osmow's
• Amritsari
• Noodlebox
• Chopshaven
• Stacked Pancake House (East + West)
• Firehouse Subs (East + West)
• Sumac & Thyme
• Umami Kid (opening shortly, according to fb)
• Suwanna

I would have laughed a few years ago if you'd told me almost all the retail units on the east side near the mall were occupied. How many are still vacant now?

Mr. Pretzels. Only vacants I can think of is where My City Life is locked out of, and new spaces up in East Point. Prob a few more scattered I can’t think of.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by bingun

Interactive Red Zone Map

https://saintjohn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/i...l?appid=111cf63751a4414382575e905fa6a280

I can't see any city-owned land on the peninsula that is not red, except Tin Can Beach. Maybe by the causeway? I am not sure who owns that.

Thanks for being so on top of things!

There's definitely some differences between the map from the PPT and this high detail, interactive map.

edit: I'm surprised to see that indoor ice rinks are not considered red zones with 30 meter buffer zones, yet the Memorial Cup Ball Hockey Rink is. 😅



But hey, at least the city is admitting that this hockey facility, is in-fact, a rink!

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by bingun

Interactive Red Zone Map

https://saintjohn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/i...l?appid=111cf63751a4414382575e905fa6a280

I can't see any city-owned land on the peninsula that is not red, except Tin Can Beach. Maybe by the causeway? I am not sure who owns that.

IIRC all the land behind the causeway is Irving. Tin Can Beach being excluded is insane, half of Waterloo will migrate there.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

IIRC all the land behind the causeway is Irving. Tin Can Beach being excluded is insane, half of Waterloo will migrate there.

Looks like the newly refurbished Loyalist Plaza (sorry, can't remember, pronounce or spell the new name) at Market Square is Yellow

As is the green space behind the police station on Carlton. That would be convenient for quick police response times as well as transport to the cells.

[bingun]

I don't know if anyone else picked this up from Monday's meeting, but Brent Harris said he's officially not running in next year's municipal elections. I wonder if Joanna will also be choosing not to run.

Some fresh faces next year, no doubt.

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by bingun

I don't know if anyone else picked this up from Monday's meeting, but Brent Harris said he's officially not running in next year's municipal elections. I wonder if Joanna will also be choosing not to run.

Some fresh faces next year, no doubt.

Did he say he wasn't running, or wasn't running for council? Because I'm fairly confident he is running for mayor.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Did he say he wasn't running, or wasn't running for council? Because I'm fairly confident he is running for mayor.

That was my first thought. Can you imagine?

[CharlotteCountyLogan]

Brent running for mayor? That would end very badly for him. No shot he wins right?

[paperplane]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Did he say he wasn't running, or wasn't running for council? Because I'm fairly confident he is running for mayor.

I was also quite confident he was running for mayor as well, but apparently at this past Monday's council meeting both him and Joanna announced that they were not running...
But maybe he said he's "not running for council" which was on purpose so that he could run for mayor. Either way, I'd hope he's been advised that it wouldn't be a good idea.

It wouldn't surprise me if there were an entirely new set of councillors and mayor around the horseshoe come next year; whether that's a good thing or not is TBD.

[bingun]

I didn't hear Joanna say anything regarding herself in the meeting, but below is the timestamp of when Brent comments -

https://youtu.be/lQ2Efxfj5bo?si=DjpsnOyahckeIfEd&t=1839

I do not plan on being here in the next council, so this has nothing to do with me personally... I will not be running in the next municipal election to be here

Given that the proposal he was discussing affects the mayoral position, it would be a strange comment to make if he planned to be the mayor.

[CharlotteCountyLogan]

If I had to guess my bet is Norton runs for mayor, as does Radwan, Reardon doesn't run for re-election, Harris Killen Stewart Lowe and MacKenzie don't run, and Ogden Sullivan and Darling run. Who wins out of those 3 is a guess to anyone.

[gtsoc]

Originally Posted by CharlotteCountyLogan

If I had to guess my bet is Norton runs for mayor, as does Radwan, Reardon doesn't run for re-election, Harris Killen Stewart Lowe and MacKenzie don't run, and Ogden Sullivan and Darling run. Who wins out of those 3 is a guess to anyone.

Unless Greg is ready to retire as Principal in the School District, I doubt he would run for Mayor.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by CharlotteCountyLogan

If I had to guess my bet is Norton runs for mayor, as does Radwan, Reardon doesn't run for re-election, Harris Killen Stewart Lowe and MacKenzie don't run, and Ogden Sullivan and Darling run. Who wins out of those 3 is a guess to anyone.

It's really in flux. New faces guaranteed. I presume at least one runs for mayor.

North: No way Ogden DOESN'T run again. MacKenzie, no idea.

South: Darling has nothing better to do. Lowe, I think they'll have to carry out feet first. Of all the incumbents he seems the most difficult to dislodge.

East: Radwan could run for reelection or mayor, who knows. Not a sure reelection either. Stewart likely quits. He clearly doesn't want to be there.

West: Killen announced she's not running in the meeting, shortly after Harris. No idea if Norton runs for council or mayor, or if he's just sick of the thing and hangs up his hat.

At-Large: Harris out, not sure what Sullivan plans. Wonder if he's also thinking of running for mayor.

Mayor: Does Reardon dare to reoffer?

Originally Posted by gtsoc

Unless Greg is ready to retire as Principal in the School District, I doubt he would run for Mayor.

There's more than one political Norton of early middle age kicking around, remember.

[gtsoc]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

It's really in flux. New faces guaranteed. I presume at least one runs for mayor.

North: No way Ogden DOESN'T run again. MacKenzie, no idea.

South: Darling has nothing better to do. Lowe, I think they'll have to carry out feet first. Of all the incumbents he seems the most difficult to dislodge.

East: Radwan could run for reelection or mayor, who knows. Not a sure reelection either. Stewart likely quits. He clearly doesn't want to be there.

West: Killen announced she's not running in the meeting, shortly after Harris. No idea if Norton runs for council or mayor, or if he's just sick of the thing and hangs up his hat.

At-Large: Harris out, not sure what Sullivan plans. Wonder if he's also thinking of running for mayor.

Mayor: Does Reardon dare to reoffer?

Could we see a return of Sean Casey

[bingun]

Originally Posted by gtsoc

Could we see a return of Sean Casey

Blast from the past, what has he been up to the last few years, I wonder?

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

It's really in flux. New faces guaranteed. I presume at least one runs for mayor.

North: No way Ogden DOESN'T run again. MacKenzie, no idea.

South: Darling has nothing better to do. Lowe, I think they'll have to carry out feet first. Of all the incumbents he seems the most difficult to dislodge.

East: Radwan could run for reelection or mayor, who knows. Not a sure reelection either. Stewart likely quits. He clearly doesn't want to be there.

West: Killen announced she's not running in the meeting, shortly after Harris. No idea if Norton runs for council or mayor, or if he's just sick of the thing and hangs up his hat.

At-Large: Harris out, not sure what Sullivan plans. Wonder if he's also thinking of running for mayor.

Mayor: Does Reardon dare to reoffer?



There's more than one political Norton of early middle age kicking around, remember.

I agree with most of this. I think Darling, Ogden, Radwan, Sullivan, and Lowe are all likely to run again, although I wish Lowe were not.

I don't know if I can see Norton running for Mayor. Maybe it is just me, but I don't see the point unless you have further political ambitions or are up there in age and looking for a secondary/retirement gig. It would be a big cut from his current role and much more crap to deal with from the public, although I don't doubt he sees similar things in the education system.

However, his efforts in this past meeting to do encampment removals seem politically motivated.

[JakeNB]

Have heard rumours that Paul Dempsey, the former PC candidate for Portland-Simonds is considering a run for Mayor