CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Charlottetown council made changes to the zoning and development bylaw Monday that will allow asphalt plants to be built in two different areas of the city.
These plants will now be permitted in what is called an M-2 zone or heavy industrial.
The two areas the plants will be allowed now are in the West Royalty Industrial Park and in a second industrial park off the Sherwood Road.
“There was nowhere in our current bylaws, in our zoning, that allowed for an asphalt plant or a concrete plant, so we were asked to investigate that,’’ said Coun. Greg Rivard, chairman of the planning committee. “Staff were able to identify a zone they felt was applicable for this use, and it was in the M-2 zone and there are two of them in Charlottetown.’’
However, even if a company were to apply the build one, there is still a rigourous process to go through. It would require provincial approval in the form of an environmental impact study.
One of the guidelines in that process that factors in quite heavily is that such a plant cannot be built within a 500-metre radius of a residential area. That makes it difficult to build one in the West Royalty Industrial Park.
“In the case of the Sherwood (Road) area, there might be strategic spots within that area, that the 500-metre radius doesn’t hit.’’
Rivard did confirm there is currently no application on the books.
“There was nowhere in our current bylaws, in our zoning, that allowed for an asphalt plant or a concrete plant, so we were asked to investigate that.’’
-Coun. Greg Rivard
Last June, Chapman Bros. in Souris made headlines when it applied to build an asphalt plant on Sherwood Road. There was a tremendous amount of opposition from area businesses and residents at a public meeting.
Chapman Bros. pulled its application before city council had a chance to vote on it, much to the chagrin of then-mayor Clifford Lee. Lee felt the public had a right to know where council stood on the issue.
In regard to Monday’s vote, council passed the zoning amendment 6-4 with councillors Bob Doiron, Mitchell Tweel, Jason Coady and Julie McCabe opposed.
“Here we go again,’’ Doiron said, referring to last year’s controversy. “It’s against what the people of that area want.’’
Coady said area residents don’t want to be dealing with the kind of noise pollution and rocks falling off trucks that such a plant would create.
Coun. Mike Duffy pointed out a second asphalt plant in the city might actually mean a more competitive market and lower prices for asphalt, meaning more potholes get filled and more streets get paved.
Rivard again pointed out that all council did was make an administrative move and that it would be up to the province to approve such a project through an environmental assessment.
