Official Fredericton, NB projects thread

[mylesmalley]

25m? That seems pretty excessive, even for Fredericton.

[Smevo]

That's exactly what I thought when I read it.

You don't sleep much do you Myles.

[mylesmalley]

Only on Wednesdays.

[cl812]

Rain, rain go away and come back after more concrete poured
Published Tuesday June 30th, 2009
A1
By JENNIFER DUNVILLE
dunville.jennifer@dailygleaner.com

Work is forging ahead on the downtown convention centre, provincial government office building and parking garage.

But overseers are worried the weather might start slowing down the $79-million project.

"We're happy with the progress of the convention centre, but not too happy with the weather right now," said Greg Cook, executive director of capital projects for the city.

"The rain hasn't delayed us much yet, but if it keeps up, it could hold up the whole project."

Work on the six-storey, 16,071-square-metre government office building, two-storey, 6,800-square-metre convention centre, and seven-level parking garage began about 10 months ago.

Cook said the basement level parking is done for the convention centre and office building, and three-quarters of the first floor of the convention centre is also finished.

Seventy-five per cent of the steel for the last floor of the conference centre is in, and the foundation is finished for the office building.

The project is still on track for completion in October or early November of 2010, but Cook said the weather could play a part in how everything comes together.

"We're still optimistic at this point that we'll meet that date, but if we get another two weeks of rain, that might change," Cook said.

"We can't really lay steel while it's raining and until that's done, we can't really move forward with pouring more concrete."

Mayor Brad Woodside said he's confident the project will be finished on time, even if the rain doesn't let up right away.

"A little rain isn't going to cause a catastrophic delay by any means," Woodside said.

"The construction crews are in the most difficult phase right now, getting the steel up and the concrete poured.''

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Bus fare lowered for off-peak travellers
Published Tuesday June 30th, 2009
A1
By JENNIFER DUNVILLE
dunville.jennifer@dailygleaner.com

Fredericton council members approved a pilot project that will see the rates for city transit reduced to 50 cents in the evenings and on Saturdays.

Transit manager Sandy MacNeill presented a report about the pilot project to council during its meeting Monday night.

He said the idea is to encourage more people to ride the bus.

"Our peak times are from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., because that's when most people are going to and from work," MacNeill said.

"What we want to do is offer a lower rate for the people using the buses outside of those peak times, particularly in the evenings and on Saturdays."

The cost of taking the bus one-way is $2 per person. The 50-cent rate will apply only to cash fares.

Coun. Dan Keenan said he voted in favour of the project because he doesn't see a downside to the idea.

"These buses in the evenings are going back and forth anyway with no one on them," Keenan said. "Why not make it cheaper to ride the bus during that time, in hopes that more people will use them?

"The revenue loss we're looking at is negligible, so I don't see why we shouldn't do this."

Keenan said it helped that MacNeill had done research. The transit manager's report included examples of other cities that have tried a reduced cash-fare rate.

"Edmonton used to offer this same program, and Vancouver, Manitoba and Ontario offer it as well," MacNeill said. "It seems to have been a positive project for other cities, and what we want to see is if it will impact our customers."

MacNeill said he will study the current number of passengers using city transit during and after peak times before the pilot project and compare that to the number of people taking advantage of the lower rates during the pilot.

The project will take place from mid-July to October. Off-peak fares will be in effect for all passengers boarding at 6:45 p.m. and later during the week and all day Saturdays.

"We'll want to see if there are any shifts from the peak times or if there is a straight increase of people using the transit system in the off-peak times," MacNeill said. "If it's successful and there's a positive reaction to it, we'll discuss sustaining it over the long term."

The estimated cost of implementing the pilot project is $1,500, based on the price of minimal advertising of the off-peak rates in the newspaper and on radio.

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WestJet supporters rally online to bring airline to city
Published Tuesday June 30th, 2009
A5
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com


A Facebook group is creating plenty of buzz about the possibility of a WestJet flight linking to Fredericton, but the airline says it won't become a reality anytime soon.

The online forum has mushroomed in size in recent weeks. The group had 1,200 members last week, but by Monday there were more than 1,700 members. The URL is http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/g...id=12470459171.

That growth has caught the group's creator by surprise.

Calgary resident James Young, who is originally from Juniper, started the online group last year.

"Last I checked three months ago, it was 300 members," he said. "Wow, 1,200 is very impressive. I never thought it would get that big.

"I started the page to see if there is support," said Young, who headed west after work dried up in Juniper.

WestJet flies into Moncton year-round and into Saint John during summer.

Young said he flies into Moncton or Saint John, but it would be more convenient for him and many others if the airline flew to Fredericton.

"I talk to a lot of people when I travel and people like their service and find them cheaper. I think this shows people seriously want to see service to Fredericton applied," he said.

He said it doesn't make sense that Fredericton isn't being serviced when every other provincial capital is.

The airline, however, has no immediate plans to issue boarding calls in Fredericton.

"It's not a 'no, never,' " said Robert Palmer, manager of customer relations for WestJet, of service to Fredericton. "It's a 'no, not right now.'

"We are very much aware that the people of Fredericton would love to have WestJet. We're not ignoring that."

The airline plans to expand its fleet of aircraft by 42 more planes by 2013, bringing the fleet to 121 planes.

Palmer said WestJet will take another look at what communities it serves and can expand to.

The airline's fleet is all Boeing 737s, large jets that can carry between 119 and 166 passengers, depending on the model.

"One of the questions we have to factor in to any of our decisions is, can we fill enough seats on the 119-seat aircraft day-in and day-out to make it viable?"

He said the airline does its homework before selecting a market, looking at the population of the city and surrounding communities, the businesses and institutions in the community, what the travel habits of residents are and what the level of use of services is.

"We look at all those patterns before we make a decision," Palmer said.

It also considers how their flights in other areas might be affected.

"One of the factors is Moncton is not that far away," Palmer said.

"We have to ask ourselves if people from Fredericton are currently driving to Moncton. And if you service Fredericton, are you robbing Peter to pay Paul," he said, effectively splitting the load and making both services less viable.

He said Air Canada Jazz serves the airport with smaller turboprop aircraft with fewer seats.

Anthony Knight, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, said he knows the city is on WestJet's radar. He said the grassroots effort can't help but reinforce that message.

"Any time the community speaks up and makes its voice known to a company that they would like to have it here it is good," he said.

[cl812]

City plans $15-million upgrade to northside facility
Published Saturday July 4th, 2009
A4
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Fredericton's sewage treatment plant on the north side is poised for a $15-million leap forward.

The facility, built in 1969 to service the four major communities which ultimately amalgamated into the City of Fredericton in 1973, is the largest sewage treatment plant in New Brunswick.

Over the years, the Fredericton Area Pollution Control Commission, which runs the plant, has taken steps to make sure it keeps up with the environmental times.

Unlike many communities along the St. John River, Fredericton doesn't dump raw sewage into the river.

The commission is planning an 18-month project to upgrade a sewage lift station, build an aeration basin, a secondary clarifier, an aerated sludge holding tank and gravity thickener, expand its UV disinfection system and building improvements.

Work is slated to start this summer once the commission receives clearance from the provincial government under the Clean Environment Act.

Commission manager Dan Harvey said the environmental impact assessment for the project has been registered with the province and the public has until July 20 to visit commission offices on Barker Street to view the documents and make comments.

"Since the late '60s, we've gone through a number of upgrades as the population has grown. As different requirements have come about for treatment, we've continuously upgraded the facility," Harvey said. "Now we're looking to make some final upgrades to get us looking forward for the next 25 years."

For the sewage treatment plant's neighbours, much of the upgrades to different sewage processing units will be unseen. A lot of the equipment will be installed underground to avoid more sprawl over the site.

"Once these units are all in place - they're actually all below ground structures - if you look at the place after we're completed, you really won't see much difference," Harvey said.

"(We'll) stay within the existing fence line. We have additional property that we own, but we're not using that for this.

"It's going to give us some additional flow capacity and some additional redundancy if we want to take equipment out of service for general maintenance."

The work will also make the facility compliant with upcoming regulatory changes proposed through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.

"We know there's new guidelines coming in the next couple of years, so we're positioning ourselves for that," he said.

The treatment plant upgrade will plan to handle additional sewage loads, as the city's population grows and housing is added over the next 25 years.

"There's 100 per cent treatment here in Fredericton and we are the biggest secondary treatment plant in the province," Harvey said.

The plant deals with 90 per cent of the city's sewage treatment needs. On the south side of the St. John River, the City of Fredericton operates two smaller sewage treatment lagoons, which handle the remaining loads.

"Some flow goes to those two facilities," Harvey said.

As the city installs new sewer lines, it's working to make those systems tighter, reducing surcharge and extra water flows into the system.

"When that happens, we see less flows," Harvey said.

"The population will increase and we'll see some (increased) flows. At the same time, the city will be renewing infrastructure and on particular streets we'll see less flows because there's less chance for infiltration."

In an earlier federal-provincial funding announcement for a complementary project, Fredericton MP Keith Ashfield brought $458,000 from Ottawa to replace a sewage lift station.

The funding will be matched by the provincial Environment Department and the city for a total of $1.4 million.

The sewage lift plant is at capacity and is becoming less reliable as it ages, city officials have said. That lift station is located behind the former Canadian Tire building, just off Main Street.

City council recently approved a resolution to ink the final contract with the province to get that project into construction this year.

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Legion drumming up support for station move
Published Saturday July 4th, 2009
A3
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

Two groups remain hard at work in their separate bids to become the new tenant of the old York Street train station.

Members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 4 have been marshalling support as they explore the possibility of acquiring the historic site and turning it into their new home.

Sources say NB Liquor is also trying to negotiate a lease for the site.

NB Liquor spokeswoman Nora Lacey said the file is "status quo," reiterating comments she made last week that the Crown corporation is still in discussions over the property, but that there have been no further developments.

A spokesman for J.D. Irving Ltd., the company that owns the property, said there are no developments to report regarding the 86-year-old building.

Members of the downtown legion branch gave unanimous consent last month to exploring the potential of turning the train station into their new home.

Branch president Jean-Guy Perreault said they've been getting plenty of public support for their interest in the train station.

"Everybody I talk to - veterans, people calling me - they are saying what a great idea," he said.

Legion members think the site would be a fitting one for the group given the link to veterans.

J.D. Irving has been trying for several years to get a commercial venture at the site. It has said the $2-million price tag to restore the station is best paid for as part of a larger business venture.

Arden Gorman is an 85-year-old veteran of the Second World War who trained at the Exhibition Grounds before leaving for Europe where he helped liberate the Netherlands. He said he still remembers boarding a train at the station in 1943.

"A lot of soldiers and airmen went through here," Gorman said as he looked through the fence surrounding the property.

He said he'd love to see it refurbished and turned into a place of honour for veterans.

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Incident prompts more calls for airport traffic tower
Published Saturday July 4th, 2009
Air Canada | Aircraft's computer warned of potential collision
A1
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

Flight college and Air Canada Jazz officials are in talks to avoid a repeat of a recent incident that forced the crew of an arriving passenger jet to take action to avoid a collision.

The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. on June 2 as an Air Canada Jazz CRJ-200 was approaching Runway 27 at the Fredericton International Airport.

An on-board computer that warns of potential collisions ordered the crew to descend. It subsequently issued another order to climb, said a report published online in the Aviation Herald.

The 50-seat plane landed without further warnings.

The crew reported the incident to the Transportation Safety Board.

Officials with Air Canada Jazz have contacted the Moncton Flight College, which operates a flight school with 180 Chinese students, to discuss the issue.

Mike Doiron, CEO and principal of the Moncton Flight College, said the school was recently contacted by Air Canada Jazz about the incident.

"Our safety guys are in ongoing discussion with Jazz," he said, noting that until being contacted by the passenger airline, the college was unaware there had been an issue.

"We're going to see if there is a better way to co-ordinate traffic."

No one from the Transportation Safety Board was available for comment Friday. A spokeswoman for Air Canada Jazz said she couldn't immediately comment on the matter.

Doiron said the fact that none of the college's pilots reported any incident that day leads him to believe the incident didn't involve aircraft in close proximity.

"Our pilots didn't report it, so they didn't consider it close," he said.

He said the college's aircraft aren't outfitted with a Traffic and Collision Avoidance System, such as the systems on commercial passenger aircraft.

Doiron said a number of the college's planes were in the air at the time as students trained. He said they were using the airport's other strip, Runway 33.

He said Fredericton is becoming a busier airport.

In fact, the Fredericton International Airport continues to be the busiest in its class.

NAV Canada is studying its aircraft traffic to determine whether Fredericton needs an air traffic control tower. The airport currently has a flight service station.

Air traffic control towers are required at airports with higher levels of traffic in terms of number and complexity, such as scheduled passenger flights. Controllers direct pilots during takeoff and landing.

Flight service stations are intended to meet the needs of airports with lower traffic complexity and fewer movements. Flight service specialists provide advisory services to pilots, including runway and weather conditions, and traffic advisories. It's up to the pilot to decide when it's best to take off or land.

The Fredericton International Airport was the busiest of NAV Canada's 52 flight service stations across the country in May, logging a total of 10,790 takeoffs and landings. That's twice as high as the next busiest flight service station in North Bay, Ont., which logged 5,084 takeoffs and landings.

Aircraft movements at the airport in May were more than four times higher than they were during the same period in 2007. The bulk of the traffic increase at the airport is from the college, which has grown from 21 students two years ago to 180.

In terms of traffic, Fredericton was also busier than 24 of the 41 airports across Canada that have a full-service NAV Canada tower.

[cl812]

Construction numbers lag '08
Published Tuesday July 7th, 2009
A6
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Fredericton's 2009 construction season is parallelling the weather: cool and soggy.

Figures to the end of May put the value of construction for the year to date at $25 million. Between January and May 2008, the figure was $44 million.

"I'm not surprised at the numbers, but so much of this is timing as to when the permits are issued," said development services committee chairman Coun. Dan Keenan.

Fredericton ended 2008 with $151.7 million in construction, its best tally in a decade.

City council is aware the construction sector is bound to cool its building pace and Keenan said the 2008 figures were so exceptional, it's going to be tough to match the figures in 2009.

He said the city will bolster the figures with its own major project this year as it completes the foundation work on its $79-million downtown conference centre and office building and advances to construction on the two buildings.

Another upcoming city construction project will be the Grant * Harvey Centre. The two-pad indoor ice hockey arena is in the design stage, but should be coming back to the desks of councillors for approval sometime this summer.

"That's going to significantly increase our total permit values for the year," Keenan said.

"I think we'll get a better sense in the next couple months as to whether we'll continue at the same pace as last year. It's tough to say.

"Last year was such a high permit value from the norm. I think there's still some solid numbers and when we get some of those additional permit values in, I think the numbers will still be pretty healthy."

So far this year, apartment building construction has remained strong, only off last year's $6.2 million mark by about $1 million.

Residential construction has dipped a bit to the end of May, with $6.7 million in new housing, compared to nearly $10 million in new single family housing last year.

One area where the local construction market is showing sustained interest is in the home renovation and repair market.

So far this year, repairs and renovations are worth close to $2 million, up from $800,000 last year.

Federal government tax incentives designed to stimulate the home repair and renovation market may continue to bolster those figures as Ottawa offers tax credits for everything from landscaping to replacing flooring.

So far this year, no industrial buildings have been added to the local marketplace and commercial construction is about $1 million below last year's figure of $2 million for the January to May time frame.

So far in 2009, the city has seen 147 dwelling units built. That's down from 200 for the same time period last year.

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Apartment building owner trying to replace business ruined by fire
Published Tuesday July 7th, 2009
A4
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

An apartment building ravaged by fire this spring has been demolished, and there are plans to replace it.

A request is before the city's planning advisory committee to build a 14-unit apartment building on the site.

"They have an application in to PAC to rebuild a new building on that site," Alex Forbes, assistant director of development services, confirmed Monday.

The 12-unit apartment building at 198-200 York St. was ravaged by fire April 7. Flames ripped the converted church - which was assessed at $458,400 - reducing much of it to ashes and charred debris.

The building, which sat boarded up over the last few months, was torn down late last week. The demolition permit was issued by the city June 26.

Land at the site is zoned R-7, meaning it's already approved for multi-unit buildings, but A & R Rentals needs city permission to build a similar apartment building on the lot.

"There are a lot of non-conforming issues to that property. That's why it's going to PAC," Forbes said.

Variance issues PAC would be asked to deal with include how far the building is set back from the street and adjacent property lines, and the number of available parking space, Forbes said.

"Most everything downtown is non-conforming," he said.

Company spokesman Neil Brown said last month that he hoped to demolish it and rebuild. The city would have to rezone the land, however, for that to happen.

Brown couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

[mylesmalley]

Fredericton airport may get control tower
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 | 10:01 AM AT

CBC News
Staff at Fredericton International Airport are anxiously waiting for a report by Nav Canada that could pave the way for a control tower at the airport.

Moncton Flight College CEO Mike Doiron said it's about time Fredericton had a control tower.

His pilots-in-training use the same air space as commercial jets landing and taking off at Fredericton, which is the busiest airport in Canada to operate without a tower.

In June, Doiron said, five student pilots crossed the flight paths of incoming jets at Fredericton. He said they were not close calls, but still indicated the need for traffic controllers.

"If there had been an air traffic controller, chances are the air traffic controller would probably have set things up to ensure that the airliner was outside the traffic pattern of the smaller training aircraft," Doiron said.

According to numbers complied by the airport, just in the month of May planes travelled across its runways 10,000 times, landing and taking off

That's double the number at the next busiest Canadian airport operating without a control tower, according to airport spokeswoman Melodie Beal.

She said the Nav Canada traffic report may determine if Fredericton gets a tower.

"All we've been told is that the study has been completed. It's being reviewed in Ottawa by Nav Canada, and there could possibly be an announcement later this week on the result of that study," Beal said.

[cl812]

Airport lands control tower
Published Thursday July 9th, 2009
Step up | Lots of traffic at Fredericton International Airport
A1
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

NAV Canada is adding air traffic control services at the Fredericton International Airport.

Canada's air navigation services provider announced plans to upgrade from a flight service station Wednesday.

The decision comes after months of consultation with users and study of the traffic growth at the airport.

It's the busiest flight service station in the country with more than 10,000 takeoffs and landings a month.

"The results of the aeronautical study led us to the conclusion traffic will continue to grow at Fredericton airport. Though service offered has been safe, we think the Fredericton airport would benefit from this service," said NAV Canada spokesman Ron Singer.

Singer said a June 5 incident in which five student pilots crossed into the path of an Air Canada Jazz flight, forcing the jet's crew to manoeuvre out of the way, didn't influence the decision.

"We started the study long before that. We've been closely monitoring the traffic at the airport for some time now."

The enhanced service will be phased in beginning Dec. 17 with eight hours of air traffic control tower service.

"Control service is warranted for the busy hours," Singer said.

He wouldn't say what level of service might be in place during off-peak hours.

Pilots are the ones who will notice the most change from the addition of air traffic control services.

Flight service stations are intended to meet the needs of airports with less traffic. Flight service specialists provide advisory services to pilots, including runway and weather conditions, and traffic advisories. It's up to the pilot to decide what to do.

Air traffic control towers are required at airports with higher levels of traffic in terms of number and complexity, such as scheduled passenger flights. Air traffic controllers issue orders to pilots.

Pilots must sometimes wait at length to get access to a runway. The upgrade should help alleviate some of that traffic.

Airport staff members and pilots are thrilled with the decision.

"It's fantastic; I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the news," said Robert Hatheway, a local orthodontist and pilot who also operates Capital Airways.

The company offers training courses to 30 students through an affiliation with the University of New Brunswick as well as private lessons.

"This shows that our airport is becoming more and more relevant with traffic flows. This adds an important element of safety," said Hatheway, who will fly out of the airport this morning bound for his Yarmouth, N.S., dental practice.

David Innes, president and CEO of the Fredericton International Airport Authority, said it's a positive development.

"It's a great announcement. It's a step forward for the airport and a step forward for the community.

"It's going to deal with the traffic situation at the airport.''

The bulk of that traffic is coming from a 180-student flight college that's training pilots for airlines in China. But the airport has also seen considerable growth in the number of commercial and private flights.

Innes also hopes news of the upgraded service will help attract more air carriers.

"Certainly we've had problems in the past, particularly with European carriers, explaining to them what a flight service station was."

Singer said NAV Canada has made a lot of changes in recent years to meet the growing needs at the airport. Staffing has doubled to 12 and staff members were given extra training as traffic levels grew.

"We had made several changes to the way flight service specialists provide services to keep up with the increase in traffic, and they are to be commended for their dedication to safety as the traffic has grown and become more complex," he said.

The Fredericton International Airport was Canada's busiest flight service station in May with 10,790 takeoffs and landings. That was more than twice as many as the second-busiest airport with a flight service station.

The May figures also showed the number of takeoffs and landings at the Fredericton airport was higher than 25 of the 41 airports that have control towers.

The business community said it shows another side of Fredericton's growing vibrancy.

"Even from a perception standpoint, this shows that the Fredericton International Airport has gone from being a small airport to a strong, medium-sized airport,'' said Anthony Knight, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce.

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Investment in Forces could help businesses in Fredericton
Published Thursday July 9th, 2009
A4
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

Businesses in Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick and maybe the Fredericton area stand to reap a good chunk of the benefits from the $5.2-billion investment in the Forces' land combat vehicles.

"The repercussions are going to be across Atlantic Canada," Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency minister of state Keith Ashfield, the MP for Fredericton, said Wednesday after the announcement to buy at least 623 vehicles and refurbish 550 others.

Under the federal industrial and regional benefits policy, every dollar spent on Canadian military equipment must yield a dollar's worth of work in Canada. Atlantic Canada's share of that redistribution is pegged at $300 million, Ashfield said.

While not all of the work on the vehicles has to be done in Canada, the Canadian government requires that successful bidders spend an amount equivalent to the contract in Canada.

Companies can accomplish that in a number of ways. They can do the work in Canada, do the work abroad and spend on other projects in Canada or partner with Canadian companies and do part of the work here while spending the remaining value on other projects in Canada.

There's a good chance for business in New Brunswick, Ashfield said.

"There's the possibility of R&D spinoffs as well," he said. "That could be work done at universities or research work at that level."

Last year, Lockheed Martin Corp. invested $4 million to establish a laboratory at the University of New Brunswick for research into impact-resistant materials for the aerospace industry. The funding was part of the company's $4.9-billion contract to supply tactical lift planes to the Forces.

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[cl812]

Bus station gets zoning approval to move
Published Tuesday July 14th, 2009
Vote | Councillor says it’s not the city’s job to tell businesses where they can set up shop
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Acadian Bus Lines will be able to move to 150 Woodside Lane if the company so chooses after city council voted eight to three to approve a zoning amendment to the highway commercial zone.

The move disgusted activists, who jeered and catcalled councillors who said they were voting for the amendment at Monday night's city council meeting.

That prompted Mayor Brad Woodside to lecture the crowd on showing respect for the democratic process. He warned the 60 or so supporters of a downtown bus depot not to continue interrupting or he would hold the item until the end of the meeting to let them cool their heels.

Julie Michaud is the climate change co-ordinator for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick and its Fredericton chapter, which has taken the lead on the issue. It held a public rally in front of city hall prior to Monday's meeting where people sang and waved signs.

"I really was holding out hope that the city councillors of Fredericton had the best interests of the citizens of Fredericton at heart, and they demonstrated very clearly that they don't," Michaud said.

She said she'll speak to the Department of Transportation about its commitment to double the share of public transportation in the province by 2020.

"It's a commitment that would be severely hampered by moving the Acadian Bus Lines terminal outside of the downtown core. This is the capital city of our province and the fact that we can't take action to help Acadian find a suitable location, that they can afford downtown, is absolutely shameful," she said.

She said the council will also turn to Fredericton MP Keith Ashfield for help since he signed a 1,200-name petition in support of keeping the bus station downtown.

"We were chastised for speaking out, but if they're not comfortable hearing from their constituents, then they probably should not be in elected office," Michaud said. "What we saw in there tonight is undemocratic."

Woodside disagreed.

"Democracy is all about debate. This is democracy in action "¦ We've listened to everybody that wanted to speak on more than one occasion," Woodside said. "I think tonight was a prime example of what democracy is."

The mayor said council wasn't expressing its preference for an uphill over downtown location for the bus depot by its vote. He said the vote wasn't about location, but about zoning.

If it was purely a case of location, Woodside said, the entire council would have supported keeping the bus depot downtown, but council has to follow planning principles.

"They haven't moved yet ... So, they now have an option of a place where they can go," Woodside said. "Within a close proximity of this location they could actually go and set up and nobody could say anything or have any objection. It was a zoning issue, not a location issue. According to the Planning Act ... we deal with the zoning."

Councillors Jordan Graham, David Kelly and Marilyn Kerton voted against the zoning amendment.

Graham said locating the bus depot on Woodside Lane wouldn't add to neighbourhood property values and would obligate the city to add more infrastructure. He urged the bus station to look again to the downtown core.

Students in Graham's ward support a downtown bus depot, and he said he was elected to represent that voice.

Kelly said residents on surrounding streets in the ward he represents made it clear they didn't want a bus company as a neighbour.

Kerton said she was swayed by the public concerns about affordability, access to the bus station and the impact on local business.

Councillors Scott McConaghy, Stephen Chase, Stephen Kelly, Dan Keenan, Mike O'Brien, Steven Hicks and Eric Megarity voted for the rezoning, as did deputy mayor Bruce Grandy. Coun. Tony Whalen wasn't present for the hearing of objections in June and therefore couldn't vote.

Hicks said if Acadian could stay downtown, it would, but from city council's perspective, it had to deal with the application on the basis of the zoning merits.

"It's a zoning issue and we have to respect that," Hicks said.

Grandy said he doesn't believe it's city council's job to dictate where a private business locates.

Keenan said the highway commercial zone is intended to handle high-volume traffic.

The remaining councillors who voted in support of the amendment said they were sympathetic to keeping the bus depot downtown, but said they couldn't justify voting against the amendment for that reason alone.

Prior to the meeting, people at the pro-downtown bus rally held up signs saying "Stop Clowning Around with our Climate" and "Cut Carbon Now."

Inside city hall, two members of the public gallery unfurled a sign and hung it over the upper railing so that city councillors could see it. It read "Democratic Planning - The City's Duty."

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[cl812]

Acadian in no rush to move up the hill
Published Wednesday July 15th, 2009
Bus depot | Company says it has problems with downtown site
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Acadian Coach Lines says it's still weighing its options for the location of its Fredericton bus terminal and it's not going to make a hasty decision.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the company said the decision-making process will take time and due diligence.

"We hope to make a decision in the near future. We will let the population of Fredericton know as soon as a decision has been reached," said the statement issued by Manon Piche, vice-president of marketing and strategic development for Groupe Orleans Express, the owner of the bus line.

On Monday evening, city council voted eight to three to grant an amendment to the highway commercial zone to permit the bus company to relocate to 150 Woodside Lane from 101 Regent St.

Acadian has an opportunity to sublease space in the United Rentals building that would accommodate a passenger reception area, ticket counter and room for its courier and package delivery service.

The company was given notice effective in April to vacate space it leases from Commercial Properties Ltd.

After a public furor about the proposed departure of the bus station terminal from the downtown core, Acadian's landlord relented and offered to extend its lease. The terms and conditions of the lease deal haven't been made public.

Acadian chose to proceed with its application to council while city hall was deluged with opposition from students, the Fredericton chapter of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick and downtown business owners who support environmentally friendly initiatives.

The groups argued that a downtown bus terminal is the most convenient and cost-effective way for people to access the inter-provincial bus line. Businesses said they can walk packages and parcels to the bus depot downtown but won't be able to if the business moves to Woodside Lane, off Hanwell Road.

"Since passenger travel is the primary part of our business, we want to ensure that our bus terminal can comfortably accommodate our passengers and our service staff and that safety concerns are addressed in the bus, passenger and taxi parking areas, as well as the pick up and delivery area," the company statement said.

"It is clear that our current accommodations no longer meet our basic needs ... Our current location is still a viable option if we can reach an understanding with the current lease holder that will address our needs."

In a telephone interview from Acadian's Montreal headquarters, Piche said the company needs less interior space and more exterior parking room at the Regent Street location.

Parking conflicts at the downtown bus depot are causing problems, Piche said.

"People don't care. They just position themselves where it's right for them," she said.

It's a safety problem when you're trying to manoeuvre a 13.5-metre (45-foot) bus with private passenger vehicle pickup and drop-offs and taxi traffic, she said.

Piche said the Regent Street and Woodside Lane options are the only two sites that the bus line is looking at, unless other landlords step forward.

If Acadian opts for the Woodside Lane location, then it would be interested in continuing preliminary talks University of New Brunswick for some type of route or service opportunity, she said.

UNB spokeswoman Natasha St. Pierre said the university is open to further discussions with the bus company.

"We have said we're open to it (talks)," St. Pierre said.

Acadian Coach Lines is owned by Groupe Orleans Express, which serves Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. It offers passenger travel, charter services and parcel delivery.

The company carries more than 1.7 million passengers per year, employs 500 people, operates more than 110 buses and services 162 communities.

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Affordable housing project gets approval
Published Wednesday July 15th, 2009
A4
By The Daily Gleaner

City council has approved an application from Tannery Court Co-Operative Ltd. for a rezoning at 543 Brookside Dr.

The city will rezone the property from a residential holding zone to a R-9A zone, which will permit the construction of a 41-unit apartment building.

Deputy mayor Bruce Grandy said he weighed the concerns of residents in his ward who opposed the construction of the affordable-housing project.

Grandy said the project will have an on-site manager and surrounding green space which should ease resident concerns about the project.

The development is ideally situated for an affordable-housing project because it's close to the Brookside shopping centre.

It's also on a bus route and near the Brookside medical clinic.

Coun. Mike O'Brien also supported the project, which will fill the city's need for more affordable-housing development.

The Moncton-based Tannery Court Co-Operative has already developed a similar housing project on Cliffe Street.

Immediate neighbours to the proposed complex registered strong objections with the city.

They said going from a single family residential neighbourhood to having an apartment building next door to a house was too big, too much and in the wrong place.

[xxFamilyGuyxx]

Fire Department Moves Into New Northside Fire Station



Fredericton (July 15, 2009)
The City's new Northside Fire Station and firefighter training complex on Two Nations Crossing are now operational.

"Having a safe and secure City is a cornerstone of what makes Fredericton a Smart City," said Mayor Brad Woodside. "This new station and training complex is designed to put our city at the forefront of fire protection and ensure we have the best possible trained and equipped fire department. "

The Northside Fire Station includes apparatus bays, locker rooms, day rooms, a dorm, offices, training rooms and a public entrance, all situated on a 4.5-acre site that includes a state-of-the-art firefighter training tower and related training pads.

The station will provide fire suppression, first aid, water rescue, ice water rescue, hazmat and motor vehicle extrication services to residents of the Marysville, Barker's Point and Devon areas of the City as well as adjacent Local Service Districts. It will be home to 32 firefighters and officers as well as two training officers and the new coordinator of the training complex.

"We are entering a new era of public safety in Fredericton North," "said Councillor Scott McConaghy, Chair of the City's Public Safety and Environment Committee. "Our firefighters have a very dangerous and difficult job that saves lives. They deserve the best possible equipment, facilities and training and they will get it all in this modern complex."

The official opening of the station and training complex will be held later this summer. At its centre is a four-storey training tower with four working deck levels, ideal for rappelling and laddering. There will also be two burn rooms, one on the first floor and the other on the second. The flames will be fuelled by propane and synthetic, non-toxic smoke will be used to protect the environment.

The tower is surrounded by separate areas for training emergency response crews in confined space rescue, vehicle extraction, pumping and drafting water and the operation of fire extinguishers.

"Together, the training complex and fire station are home to a Centre of Excellence in Public Safety Training," said Fire Chief Philip Toole. "We are now leaders in training our own fire fighters and emergency response teams and we plan to offer our expertise and facilities to other public safety organizations across Atlantic Canada."

The MacLaren Avenue fire station will be decommissioned immediately while the fire station on Harrison Court in Marysville will remain operational until road repair work is completed on Crocket Street. The City also opened a new road today connecting Irvine Street to Cliffe Street to improve emergency vehicle access in the area.

Sperry & Partners, of Halifax, designed the 21,290 square-foot new station, and it was constructed by Simpson Building Contractors. The tower was built Monteith Underground Service Ltd. using pre-manufactured components shipped from Wisconsin, USA.

Fredericton.ca

[cl812]

Looks like an interesting design.

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Plans for apartments on York St. underway
Published Thursday July 16th, 2009
A4
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

A new 14-unit apartment building proposed by A and R Brown Rentals has been given a thumbs up by the city's planning advisory committee.


Fancy digs: The planning advisory committee approved this 14-unit apartment development from A & R Brown Rentals on Wednesday to replace a 12-unit building at 198 York St., which was destroyed in a spring fire. The large two-bedroom units will feature balconies and have two levels. The project goes to city council for final approval before a possible construction start in September.

The committee, which advises city council on zoning issues, is unanimously supporting the construction of a new building at 198 York St. that will replace a 12-unit building destroyed in an April fire.

The new building at the corner of York and George streets will feature three-storeys with a corner entrance and two-bedroom units.

Neil Brown, spokesman for the family-owned business, said it's happy with the design concept created by local architect Peter Fellows.

"We're very, very happy with Fellows and company and the design that they've come up with, and this is the first step," Brown said.

"The second step we now have to go through is city council. Hopefully, we get approval and as soon as we get approval, then we'll put it out to see who is going to build it for us and we'll commence ASAP."

If everything goes well, a September construction start wouldn't be out of the question, Brown said.

Of the 14 units, six units might end up being smaller than the estimated 1,100-square-feet proposed for the apartments.

A and R Brown Rentals is exploring the idea of making those affordable housing units, although that's still in the idea stage, Brown said.

The proposed building will have four levels but is considered a three-storey building since one level is partially below grade.

Fellows said the design is contemporary for the downtown.

It doesn't try to mimic Victorian design, but emulates some of the features with projecting bay windows that extend a couple of storeys.

"So, we've done that with the balconies and the bedrooms," Fellows said.

"Some of the apartment stock in the city is maybe getting a little repetitive and we'd just like to ... try something a little different.

The units are intended to be two-storey units within the building."

The exterior finish of the building will stay in the downtown clapboard genre, Fellows said.

"The building offers a sense of depth and variation creating projecting bays and a glass curtain wall treatment to accentuate the grandeur of the main entry," says a planning report submitted to the committee.

"Staff are of the opinion that the design submitted is consistent with the character, massing, scale and height of the adjacent buildings.

"The proposal represents a quality design which will ultimately set a high standard for redevelopment in the area."

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Reaction positive to new fibre optic network
Published Thursday July 16th, 2009
Internet | Opportunities for businesses expected with upgraded system
A4
By CHRIS FOX
fox.chris@dailygleaner.com

Each day, employees at Red Cow Marketing and Technologies spend upwards of two hours uploading and downloading massive files to create websites for their clients.

Pat Septon, president and CEO of the marketing and communications firm, is hopeful that fibre optic Internet will put an end to that.

"One of the biggest problems we have is uploading our large files and having (fibre optic internet) will make it seamless," Septon said.

"There are always hiccups when you are in our business, and you always have to do things again, but with (fibre optics) it won't matter because it will be so quick."

Septon's comments arise as a result of Bell Aliant's announcement last week that it will make Fredericton and Saint John the first cities in Canada to have access to the high-speed network that allows users to download and send photos, videos and music instantaneously.

The technology is being installed by mid-2010 at a cost of $60 million.

Red Cow Technologies has offices in Halifax, Saint John and Fredericton.

Septon said fibre optic Internet access will make things much smoother, especially when it comes time to transmit files from the Saint John office to the Fredericton office, as is often required.

"It will speed things up tremendously," he said. "Right now, it takes so long to upload the files and then so long to download them, so if we shoot a high-definition video here and want to show it to someone in another office it will pretty much take all night to send."

About 70,000 homes and businesses in Fredericton and Saint John will have access to the network, although officials with Bell Aliant haven't announced at what cost yet.

Anthony Knight, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, said the impact on the business community will be huge.

"It is extraordinary and it will be a real competitive advantage for our business community," Knight said. "We will be the only two cities in Canada that will have this level of capability.

"Companies that are delivering over the Internet will be able to do it more quickly and efficiently, and when it comes to trying to attract new business it will play a part as well."

The network is being installed first in Fredericton and Saint John because the infrastructure in both cities is above ground and easier to access.

It's also because the cities were next on the list to gain access to Bell Aliant's new television service.

Maurice Gallant, chief information officer for the city, said the service will bring with it many opportunities.

"It is what is known in the industry as a last-mile connection, so this has very significant potential, but what we don't know is what Bell Aliant uses that potential for," Gallant said.

"There could be very high-speed applications, whether that is video conferencing; downloading and streaming of entertainment; or businesses dealing business to business and transferring huge amounts of data."

----

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by cl812

10/10

Urban, flat-roof, no-vinyl, glass and no setback as well.

It reminds me Uptown Dieppe !

Great job.

[cl812]

Two city intersections to have lights installed
Published Friday July 17th, 2009
A3
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Two councillors in two different wards of the city say they're pleased they're getting new, safer intersections for their residents.

Ward 9 Coun. Stephen Chase asked the city's engineering and public works department to do a reassessment of the crosswalk at Regent Street and Kings College Road.

"This has been a long-standing need up in that area - that intersection of Kings College and Regent for students and for vehicle traffic," Chase said.

"All it took was a little push to get it through."

The engineering department asked its consultant ADI Ltd. to review the two intersections in the context of a major overhaul of the city's comprehensive capital-area traffic study. The preliminary report is due in September.

Chase said the crosswalk hasn't been adequate to deal with conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles.

"The traffic is so heavy on Regent Street and students want to make it across to the university back and forth, but vehicles really don't want to stop," Chase said. "That's my observation. And the flashing (crosswalk) light doesn't always mean stop to people in Fredericton."

The pedestrian traffic was his chief concern, Chase said, but installing a full set of lights will help curb speeds on Regent Street.

The new set of signals will be installed July 21 weather permitting, Chase said.

In Ward 7, Coun. Scott McConaghy will see a set of traffic lights installed at the corner of Vanier Industrial Drive and Lincoln Road.

"It's a heavy pedestrian corridor at that intersection. The trail connection is also there," McConaghy said.

"It's going to make everyone's daily treks across Lincoln Road much safer. It's just a very important pedestrian-traffic corridor."

Residents of the neighbourhood have been asking for the traffic signal for some time.

As with the Regent Street lights, the Lincoln Road intersection had to go through an approval process with the transportation department because both roadways are provincially designated highways.

"It took a little bit of time, but in the end, we're extremely grateful to the province for approving this," McConaghy said.

The signals will create a traffic break for vehicles further along Vanier Industrial Drive where Adams Street intersects.

"It's going to help create traffic breaks there, and it will obviously make the turning movements

[cl812]

A Tall Order
Published Saturday July 18th, 2009



Duelling cranes: it wasn’t enough to have one big crane in place to build the richard J. currie center at the university of new Brunswick, but now an equally large, portable crane has arrived on the scene. the two cranes give unB an impressive skyline as construction continues.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/c...article/732972

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Developer gets OK for project
Published Saturday July 18th, 2009
A3
By The Daily Gleaner

Northrup Holdings Ltd. has received planning advisory committee approval to create a 29-lot residential subdivision near Brookside Drive and St. Mary's Street on Fredericton's north side.

Phase 2 of the expansion of Northbrook Subdivision will be along Youseff and GlenNorth streets.

Twenty-three of the lots will be zoned for single detached dwelling and six for semi-detached housing, for a total potential of 35 housing units.

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Properties seeking heritage status return to council July 27
Published Saturday July 18th, 2009
A4
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Third reading of a bylaw to designate five downtown east end properties under the city's heritage preservation bylaw is due to come back to city council July 27.

Councillors have already given first and second reading in support of the designations for 770 George St., 279 Regent Street and properties at 240, 261 and 334 St. John Street.

The city received an objection not specifically to the designation of the homes as heritage properties but to the city's general policy on heritage designation under its bylaw.

A Queen's Square-area resident and a past chairman of the city's heritage preservation review committee, Don Dennison, told city council that it was undermining the value of its bylaw by not designating the larger neighbourhood for protection.

A few years ago, when the Queen's Square neighbourhood asked for a detailed heritage study with the intent of including a large chunk of the area under the heritage preservation bylaw, it didn't expect city staff to divide properties in a variety of categories, ranking them from highest to lowest heritage value.

Instead, it wanted the overall character of the community assessed.

There were good intentions behind creating categories, but it wasn't well thought out, Dennison told council.

In a report, Juan Estepa, manager of the heritage and cultural affairs division, defended the process used to investigate and categorize properties.

"City council has adopted a process that is based on current best practices in heritage preservation and vetted this through an extensive public and stakeholder consultation process that was supported by the overwhelming majority of those consulted. In staff's opinion, this process supported the intent of the bylaw rather than undermining it," Estepa said in his report to city council.

Last fall, a heritage review was conducted of about 250 homes in a 10-block area of the downtown east end, but city council said it wouldn't enrol entire sections of the Queen's Square community under heritage protection unless 65 per cent or more of residents voted in favour of inclusion.

Voters were put into four blocks with the most valuable heritage housing stock grouped into a priority A zone, but even in that zone only 49 per cent of respondents supported heritage status.

The lack of community support via a vote has left homeowners anxious to maintain their historic or architecturally significant properties with the only option of seeking designation on a piecemeal basis.

---

[fredfan]

I think we may be due for some updated photos of development around town please... anyone?

Also does anyone know what has happened with the apartment building on Victoria st.?

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Seven-storey apartment building gets green light
Published Thursday August 21st, 2008


Opposition | Resident says it’s like having a beast move in
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com


A seven-storey apartment building approved for 362 Victoria St. will rise up into the sky like a too-tall, too-small lighthouse, says Dundonald Street resident Jeanette Robertson.

Speaking on behalf of downtown neighbours who objected to developer Tony George's project Wednesday night at planning advisory committee, Robertson challenged committee members to think about how they'd like a towering building over their homes.

"It's almost like having a beast in your backyard," Robertson said.

Her property will back onto the brick-and-glass apartment building designed by local architect Carl Smyth.

While Robertson praised Smyth's other designs around the city, she said the building is too big for a predominantly residential area, particularly with the style of homes surrounding it.

She also mentioned the additional traffic on local streets.

"Forty-four units, if everyone has a car, that's 44 cars at rush hour potentially," she said.

But planning advisory committee members tried to explain to residents that their hands are tied.

The group unanimously approved the 44-unit, seven-storey building and the variances needed to allow it to be constructed. City council has no say over the committee's decision.

As a matter of legal right, George has the property zoning - mixed-use district zone - to build an eight-storey building on the land. All he would have to do is make his proposed building narrower and taller and it would still fit on the land and in the zone.

George would also have the right to build six storeys with surface parking surrounding the building, which would reduce the amount of grass and shrubbery around the property.

"He has all kinds of fallback positions," said Alex Forbes, assistant director of development services. "The reality is he doesn't need to come to this committee for an eight-storey building, but he'd have to reduce 44 units to 36. If he does that, he can achieve an eight-storey building."

George wrote a letter to the committee saying he would voluntarily reduce the building's height to seven storeys while retaining 44 apartment units and keep the underground parking in recognition of neighbourhood concerns.

George is able to modify his design and still retain 44 apartment units, because some of the apartments have the same internal floor space as a sprawling bungalow and can be scaled back in size.

Smyth said while he sympathizes with the concerns of neighbours, George bought the property in good faith based on its zoning and the fact he could build up to eight storeys of housing. The land could have other uses that would be less desirable than an apartment, including a nightclub or an office building, Smyth said.

Committee member Dan Koncz said by granting minor variances to the front, side and rear of the building lot, the planning advisory committee can ensure that the building is constructed with underground parking, rather than a sea of asphalt and surface parking for cars.

But when Koncz asked Robertson if she would prefer six storeys with an asphalt lot or the seven storeys, Robertson described the choice as ludicrous.

Even at six storeys, that's like taking two homes on Waterloo Row and stacking them on top of each other, she said.

Citizen member Zona Bovingdon said she understood neighbourhood frustrations, but more landscaping would be better than more asphalt.

[xxFamilyGuyxx]

Has anyone seen a design for this building?

[mylesmalley]

No. nothing at all. It was from nearly a year ago, and they've pretty much missed the construction window for this year. It'd probably be next spring before we see shovels in the ground - assuming that even happens.

[cl812]

Road projects to keep on trucking
Published Monday July 20th, 2009
Work | Kudos for local drivers ... mostly
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dalygleaner.com

It's going to take more time before Fredericton drivers get access to all their favourite routes, but the chairman of Fredericton's transportation committee is thankful for driver patience.

"People have been very patient ... very, very good," said Coun. Tony Whalen.

Although he sits on council, Whalen said the momentarily forgot about the closure of Crocket Street on the north side recently and had to retrace his steps from his Marysville workplace to get over to city hall for a meeting.

Crocket Street is still closed, along with Hanwell Road and Dundonald Street, but Smythe Street has reopened to traffic.

The city's engineering and public works department is trying to shift its construction schedule to alternate the closures in an attempt to minimize disruption.

But it's not only city projects that are keeping motorists zigging and zagging along alternate routes. The provincial government has been repaving main roadways, including a large chunk of the former Trans-Canada Highway behind the Prospect Street Uptown Centre.

Add into that work, the major rehabilitation of the Princess Margaret Bridge, and you have a road construction season that could easily fray many a driver's nerves.

Whalen said drivers should continue to take note of projects and plan to take different routes.

Here are some of the major roadwork projects still ahead for this construction season.

Dylan Gamble, the city's roads and streets manager, said to expect closures on Tweedsmuir Street for storm-sewer replacement Aug. 10.

Colonial Heights will be closed in mid-August for a major culvert repair, but that work won't start until Hanwell Road reopens.

On Hanwell Road, part of the work being done includes the construction of left-turning pockets at Foley Court and Burnham Court. The city is aiming to have the work done by the fourth week of July, weather permitting.

River Street in Marysville is slated to undergo road construction in early August.

A resurfacing and roadway shoulder improvement project will start on Riverside Drive near the Fort Nashwaak Motel property in Barkers Point in mid-August.

Wilsey Road, Regent Street and Kimble Drive will see sidewalk extensions toward the end of July.

Prospect Street, much of which has been repaved between Smythe and Regent streets, will be widened near the entrance to Fredericton High School to create a turning lane into the mall. That intersection will also get an improved set of traffic signals.

Bicycle lanes will be installed on Montgomery Street between York and Smythe Street and on Goodine Street in Lincoln.

The city has discovered that when it installs bicycle lanes, it creates a sense that the roadway is narrower and tends to reduce speed, so bike lanes are being used on streets where speeding is an issue.

Work on Brookside Drive near the mall and West Hills Development is slated for late July.

Tenders close Tuesday for continuing upgrades at Cliffe and Union streets.

Fraser Avenue will have a full water and sewer upgrade start in early August.

Gamble said despite all the wet weather in June, the city was able to get an early start on its paving program and has completed 45 per cent of its asphalt resurfacing and 46 per cent of its curb and gutter upgrade.

Gamble also had a word of caution for drivers. Apparently some people have been ignoring road closure and detour signs and are finding themselves on a torn-up road and have to make U-turns.

It's almost as if people don't believe the road is closed, Gamble said.

His advice: "Don't ignore the signs. The road is really closed."

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Woodstock Road project to involve townhouses
Published Monday July 20th, 2009
A5
By The Daily Gleaner

A Woodstock Road property developer, considering a possible site for a 24-unit apartment building, is changing plans.

The city's planning advisory committee has approved an amended development plan for the property that would allow for 14 townhouses contained in two buildings instead.

Each of the three-bedroom townhouses will have two levels and a garage facing Woodstock Road and three storeys facing the river, including a walkout basement. The proposal must be approved by city council.

Neighbouring property owner Robert Constable didn't object to the proposal for 1665 Woodstock Rd., but urged the city to retain provisions previously approved that would protect the maximum amount of tree cover, ensure there's an approved drainage plan for surface water, and that the intersection with Woodstock Road and Prospect Street be revisited.

ADI Ltd., the consultant on the project, is working with the Department of Transportation on a proposed intersection realignment.

Constable also said that this year for the first time, he had water in the basement of his riverfront home, but an ADI Ltd. spokesman said the townhouse basements will be one metre above the one-in-100-year flood level.

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[Freddypop]

Folks....Was talking to my neighbour last night. He has won one of the sub-contracts for the Freddy Costco project. Says that construction activity should begin in earnest "very shortly likely either later this week or next"