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Hopes for Holyrood bypass stops farm application

By Mark Squibb/September 2, 2022

A Holyrood resident will have to find somewhere else to plant their peas and carrots after council denied a proposal for a Crown Land referral on South Side towards Duff’s East Side because the application may hinder development of a future bypass road.

“This is an application to grow crops, for farming, I guess, in the area, which, in the future, may encompass the rest of the CBS bypass road,” explained Deputy Mayor Michele Woodford. “So, right now we’re reaching out to the Minister of Transportation just to see where that is.”

Mayor Gary Goobie elaborated a little further.

“A few years back, myself and the CAO had a meeting with the minister and his officials and, as part of that meeting, we did mention that Holyrood is growing right now, and we only have one road going through the community, and we know that that can become heavily congested, especially on the weekends in the summer,” said Goobie. “So, looking forward, this is something that could be considered 20, 25 years down the road, or it could come sooner, depending on how fast the town grows.”

Goobie said extension of the bypass road would lessen congestion in Holyrood, pointing out how folks heading to St. Johns can drive the Peacekeepers Highway rather than drive through neighbouring CBS. 

“If we start developing that property in that said area, we could end up choking off that proposed buffer zone, and that could be very problematic down the road — pardon the road—when we go to develop that particular road,” said the mayor.

Woodford added the application wasn’t denied solely based on the potential for a future road, but that there were other concerns, such as access and zoning, with the application.

During the meeting, council approved a batch of 22 permits issued from July 20 to August 12, including permits for new homes, site preparation, accessory buildings, general repairs, occupancies, and fences.

Council also approved a backlot development, complete with a road at 40 Brophy’s Road, and an amateur radio antenna at a Highland Park address. ‘The applicant will not be permitted to add any extensions or other attachments to the tower without further approval from the Town,” said Woodford.

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