Saint John pulp mill hopes to turn part of Wolastoq Park into 500-spot parking lot

Irving Pulp & Paper Ltd. wants to build a parking lot near its west Saint John pulp mill — on part of what is now a public park overlooking the Reversing Falls Rapids.

J. D. Irving Ltd. owns the land where it created Wolastoq Park 20 years ago but now wants to use some of it for workers needed for its $1.1-billion "NextGen" project.

The 500-stall parking lot, proposed for the south-central portion of the park, would require a zoning amendment.

At their meeting Tuesday night, city councillors got a short presentation on the proposal from Amy Poffenroth, the growth and community services commissioner.

People have 30 days to provide written objections to the proposal, she said. Once this "review period" ends on Oct 31, the submissions will be brought before council. 

Wolastoq Park, near the Simms Corner intersection off Lancaster Avenue, honours the Wolastoqey name for the St. John River and has walking trails and statues that help tell the story of the area.

JDI's Project Nextgen will see the addition of a 20-storey boiler to increase pulp output without the need to buy power outside the plant.

The company says on its website that the construction phase of the project is expected to double the number of workers at the mill.

The park was chosen because of the minimal impact and disruption to traffic, JDI said, and about 70 per cent of the property will remain parkland for public recreational use. 

Coun. Greg Norton, who represents the ward containing both the mill and the proposed parking project, said Wolastoq Park is a recreation and congregation centrepiece, and he encouraged community members to express their views about JDI's proposal.

"Wolastoq Park is a beloved area of not only west Saint John and Ward 1, but the greater Saint John area," he said. 

"It's one that has some historical significance. It has fantastic vistas. It has been a meeting place, whether it's for track and field events for the Anglophone South School District or for Saint John Track and Field. So it does have some meaning."

Norton said it's important to hear from the company "as it relates to their ambitions with a generational investment at the Irving Pulp and Paper plant and what their needs are."

"At the same time, it's important to hear from the community as well, as it relates to their concerns, to make sure that we create a win-win solution for both the proponent and for the community so we come out of this with a satisfactory answer." 

The proposal, if given the green light, will bring a pedestrian overpass that will connect the parking site to Mill Road.  Access to the parking lot would be from Lancaster Avenue.

J.D. Irving said off-site parking with busing and an on-site garage were considered but discarded because of factors such as poor reliability in bad weather and traffic impacts.

Poffenroth said the park is now designated "park and natural area." To allow the development, the parcels of land would be designated "stable area" and "stable commercial."

She said the proposal will come back to council in November and likely be referred to the city's planning advisory committee.

The proposal is expected to be the subject of a public hearing in January before council, where individuals and groups for and against the plan can speak on it.

J.D. Irving representatives did not speak during the council meeting Tuesday.