CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Charlottetown city council has paved the way for a second asphalt plant in the city, a decision that left some residents and business owners furious.
“Very disappointed is an understatement,’’ said a visibly upset Jamie Brown, owner of Brown’s Volkswagen on Sherwood Road. “The business community was not informed (Friday’s meeting) was going to take place.’’
Council voted 5-4 at a special public meeting on Friday in favour of an amendment to the zoning and development bylaw to permit an asphalt, aggregate and concrete plant in the M2 zone.
Voting in favour were councillors Greg Rivard, Alanna Jankov, Terry MacLeod, Mike Duffy and Terry Bernard. Voting against the amendment were councillors Jason Coady, Julie McCabe, Mitchell Tweel and Bob Doiron.
Coun. Kevin Ramsay did not attend Friday’s vote.
Asphalt plants can be located in two different areas of the city — M2 or heavy industrial zones. The two areas are in the West Royalty Industrial Park and on the Sherwood Road.
Last June, Chapman Bros. in Souris made headlines when it applied to build an asphalt plant on Sherwood Road but it withdrew that application over opposition from area businesses and residents.
However, Coady, who represents the area in question on council, provided a document to the media on Friday that shows Chapman Bros. applied in March to the Island Regulatory and
Appeals Commission to purchase a 15-acre parcel of property on Sherwood Road for commercial use.
The Guardian reached out to Chapman Bros. after the council meeting but the phone call wasn’t returned.
“We all know that’s not a commercial business,’’ Coady said, referring to Chapman Bros. “It’s a heavy industrial use business . . . it’s an asphalt paving company.’’
Doiron was upset at the lack of discussion, the lack of publicity the meeting had beforehand and over the fact that Rivard, the chairman of planning, did not attend the meeting. Rivard participated via teleconference call, which is permitted under the Municipal Government Act. Rivard said he could not attend in person due to personal reasons.
“It’s getting ridiculous,’’ Doiron said, his voice rising.
Mayor Philip Brown said the city is not required under the bylaws to send out notices of Friday’s meeting.
Jamie Brown said the city already has an asphalt plant in the area, one that was built in 1944, back when the area would have been considered rural and not surrounded by businesses and residential homes.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,’’ the dealership owner said. “It’s going to reduce our property values on the Sherwood Road and Brackley Point Road and Mount Edward Road. We’re going to have . . . more trucks hauling aggregate coming into the Sherwood Road. This is absolutely ridiculous. What the city did today was they put us behind 50 years.’’
While there is now an as-of-right to build a second asphalt plant (it doesn’t require council’s approval) those opposed to it do have options. They have 21 days to appeal council’s decision to IRAC. And, any project would have to go through an environmental assessment by the province’s Department of Environment.
“It’s very disappointing to me, personally, (and) it’s disappointing to the business community and the residents I represent in Ward 8. We went down this road last year,’’ Coady said, referring to a public meeting held last year over this issue, a meeting that was accompanied by a 175-name petition opposing an asphalt plant.
“I can’t understand it. I don’t know what is driving this agenda when nobody wants it.’’
Coady has fought this process from the beginning, delivering an impassioned plea at council’s regular meeting on June 10. Tweel attempted to have the issue deferred that night and sent to a public meeting. The majority of council supported him. However, this past Monday, there was a sudden about face with council choosing to rescind Tweel’s request for a public meeting and give the amendment first reading.
“I am shocked,’’ Coady said Friday.
Rivard said there was nowhere in the current bylaws, in the zoning, that allowed for an asphalt or concrete plant so the city was asked to look into it. He added that staff were able to identify a zone they felt was applicable for such a use and it was in the M2 zone, of which there are two in the city.
Mayor Brown agreed this issue has been contentious from the beginning, who noted that he asked for a show of hands when it came to the vote to show who was for and against it when the procedure is normally all of council saying "yay" or "nay" as a collective.
“There are other ways of dealing with this issue,’’ the mayor said. “I don’t think we’ve seen the end of it. There’s more to this to unfold in the coming weeks or coming months.’’
