CommunityCouncil

CBS council tightens ‘stage’ ammendment

By Chris Lewis | Mar. 18, 2021

Recent regulation amendments in Conception Bay South will only apply to the future community garden in Long Pond, according to council.

Development regulations for the area containing the community park have been altered to allow for a small stage to be constructed at the facility.

At the March 2 meeting of council, it was clarified that the stage was not going to be big – hardly big enough for a solo performance, let alone an entire band as had apparently been the concern of some residents who wrote to council about the stage and the regulation changes. The stage came up for discussion again at the Tuesday, March 16 meeting.

Councillor Kirk Youden said the town has received quite a volume of correspondence from residents with concerns about what the amendments would mean for other parts of the community.

“The committee did listen, and it will only apply to the community park,” Youden said.

To that end he presented a motion to adopt the amendments for the Long Pond park only.

While most of the rest of council supported it, councillor Rex Hillier said he fears council may be trying to fit too many things into one space.

Hillier said he wouldn’t support Youden’s motion, noting his concerns about the park date back to its conception. He admitted many of the things planned for the park, such as an ice skating rink, are things that people have been requesting for some time. But he is worried the Town has been too ambitious in choosing what to fit into the space.

“For that, I will be voting against it this evening,” Hillier said.

Ward 3 councillor Gerard Tilley, who supported Youden’s motion, said the park will benefit from the amendment.

“There are time where we have to make decisions that are for the greater good of the community, and this is something that we’ve been wanting and needing for quite a few years now,” Tilley said.

Youden said the concerns were heard and discussed by the Town’s planning and development committee. The final plan for the park, he added, has not yet been completed but is in the final stages.

“It was recommended that we look at our development regulations – and the regulations for all of our parks – so that they could be amended to alleviate some residential concerns,” he said.

Mayor Terry French finished the discussion by stating what he hoped will quell the concerns from residents in the area.

“Our intent is that people throughout our entire town can go down there at some point and enjoy the open space, take their kayak and go around the inner harbour, enjoy the water lot access,” he said. “We’ll also have a playground down there that can be utilized by people with all sorts of disabilities, and of course, the splash pad and skating oval. It’s a community-based project, and I’m really looking forward to the day when we can go down and see people using that piece of land.”

One thought on “CBS council tightens ‘stage’ ammendment

  • Pierre Gauvreau

    If it’s a good thing for the community, why limit it only to Long Pond?

    If it’s a bad thing for communities, why allow it in Long Pond?

    Double standard much?

    Reply

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