Saint John’s got a new look for its zoning by-law.
The previous zoning bylaw required developers to cut through more red tape than in either Fredericton or Moncton, and required homeowners to come before council and seek approval changes as minor as building a wheelchair ramp on their home. Common Council voted to pass ZoneSJ, which will in theory focus new development in the core of the city rather than creating more sprawl.
Mayor Mel Norton called it a landmark in Saint John’s history and praised council for supporting it so strongly.
Common Councillor Susan Fullerton was the only councillor to vote against – she says it’s not going to work because it focuses too heavily on the primary development area, and neglects areas outside of it. She says properties in the PDA that have been available for decades aren’t suddenly going to be pounced upon just because of ZoneSJ.
Common Councillor David Merrithew stressed that if you’re outside the primary development area and negatively effected by ZoneSJ, council will still be willing to work with your concerns.
