Related photo galleries : Upton Farm site plan Capital city squeezed out but still in control of Upton Farm planning NIGEL ARMSTRONG The Guardian

Architect Larry Jones of BGHJ describes the draft site plan for the Upton Farmland. He made the presentation recently at a public meeting of Charlottetown city council as part of a rezoning application for the land. Guardian photo by Nigel Armstrong

A draft site plan for the former Upon Farm land is now in the hands of Charlottetown city council despite the city being shut out of the development process.
Architect Larry Jones of the firm Bergmark Guimond Hammarlund Jones recently presented the concept plan to council and the public on behalf of the P.E.I. government.
The development proposal requires a rezoning. Having now gone through the public consultation process, the rezoning request is in the hands of the city’s planning board. A motion to accept the rezoning is expected at the Aug. 10 meeting of council.
The Upton land is bisected at Maypoint by the Trans-Canada Highway, making for southern and northern portions. It is currently owned by Canada Lands Corporation, an agency of the federal government.
Jones said the work and lobby of the citizens group, known as the Upton Farm Preservation Network, has been successful at keeping much of land as green space as outlined in a  memorandum of understanding signed between the province and Canada Lands this spring. The green space will be managed by a board of trustees to be named by, and given terms of reference by the provincial cabinet sometime in the future when the $2.375-million deal goes through. That deal now depends on rezoning approval by council.
“My only concern at this point in time is that the city is not a partner and whether they should be or not, it is a major parcel within the city and I think there needs to be some thought around your council table as to how that happens,” said Jones in answer to a question from Coun. Mitchell Tweel.
“I just want to make it clear, the city was a partner in this process up until the last couple of meetings, then I guess the province decided that the city’s partnership was no longer required, ” said Mayor Clifford Lee, indicating the city would like to be back at the table.
On the extreme south part of the land is 15 acres reserved for a proposed new manor for seniors, across the road from the Beach Grove home. The plan is for 128 beds and a resident day program, expected to begin construction in 2010.
“It is under program development as we speak,” said Jones. “That would be the only building on the south side of the road. It is the intent of the department (of Transportation and Public Works as well as the Department of Health) that this will be a well-landscaped facility, much as Beach Grove is now.
“The remainder of the (south side) property would be left green,” said Jones.
Much of the north side of the property will also remain green. The proposed industrial campus devoted to bioscience would amount to about 63 acres at the corner of the Upton Road and the future arterial highway extension.
Of the nearly 270 acres of land comprising the Upton Farmlands, close to 150 acres will remain green space controlled by the trust, said Jones.
“The details of that trust are still not clear because the trust will not be set up until the land is purchased,” said Jones.
“The land is actually quite stunning,” he said. “It is an absolutely magnificent piece of property. It deserves to be looked after and treated with some tender loving care.”
He said that the report recommends bicycle paths through the green space and he asked the city to ensure that paths on the Upton lands link to other paths on streets and roads throughout the city.
“There is no point putting in bicycle paths on the Upton Farmlands if they can’t go anywhere,” said Jones.
The report of his firm recommends a rotary intersection where the Upton Road meets the arterial highway, said Jones.
He said that the report also recommends that the biocommons buildings be no higher than four stories and that parking would not be at each individual building but in common parking lots run by the biocommons management.
Kirsten Connor, a leader in the Upton Preservation Network thanked the council for its work and said she supported the plan, other than the extensive amount of paved parking lots in the biocommons area.
For a detailed look at site drawings, go to the ‘photo gallery’ section of this website.
CLICK the photo below to see LARGE view of site plan.