Store | Facility planned for Corbett Centre
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com
Published Monday April 13th, 2009
A public hearing of objections will be held at city hall Tuesday as citizens get to state their case for or against a Costco store in Fredericton.
A handful of individuals and interest groups has signed up to address councillors.
As of late last week, city clerk Pam Hargrove was sifting through a lot of letters that her office received to be able to report how many support and how many oppose the project before Tuesday’s council meeting.
Hargrove said letters and comments can still be submitted Tuesday and will be added to councillor information packages.
Groups such as the Friends of the UNB Woodlot and Fredericton chapter of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick are gearing up to fight the project. They oppose any development of the marshy area atop Regent Street and will have representatives at Tuesday’s session.
City council is expected to follow its typical pattern on rezonings Tuesday night. Councillors will hear the public, then give automatic first and second reading to the rezoning bylaw.
Councillors make their final decision on the application April 27. They will either support the project or kill the concept on third reading.
Moncton-based engineering and planning company Terrain Group Inc. is applying on behalf of the University of New Brunswick for the rezoning to allow the store to be built on Regent Street at the Corbett Centre retail development.
UNB is the property owner that’s leasing land to stores such as Winners, Home Depot and Dollarama.
It’s working with its consultants, Trinity Development Group, and its partner, RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, to add the Costco store.
Costco signed a letter of intent with UNB last fall, but it hasn’t announced a construction date.
Costco Canada spokesman Ron Damiani has said the company continues to have an interest in entering the Fredericton and Saint John markets.
The provincial Environment Department has asked the developers to submit modified plans to manage storm water or surface runoff from the additional big-box store site at Corbett Centre.
A student group in late March called for an immediate moratorium on further development of the woodlot. Students handed a 650-signature petition to outgoing UNB president John McLaughlin. Incoming UNB president Eddy Campbell has been made aware of their concerns.
Mayor Brad Woodside sampled public opinion in March after he launched his Costco For Fredericton site on Facebook. Woodside quickly saw more than 6,000 members join the site and 1,300 people express their opinions.
The majority of those who joined the Facebook group supports a Costco store. Fredericton has many shoppers who are members of the wholesale, bulk grocery and household goods store and who routinely drive to Moncton to pick up buys.
Opponents of the development suggest the store should seek a different location.
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