A former church in the north end of Saint John could soon have a new purpose.
Plans are in the works to turn the building at 6 Douglas Avenue into a residential development.
A rezoning application before council proposes 15 to 18 units within the existing structure and a three-storey addition.
Some concerns about the project were raised plans during a public hearing at this week’s Saint John council meeting.
Nancy Simard lives on Clarendon Street and said while she is not opposed to new housing, she is worried about parking.
“It’s a one-way street and parking is already an issue. We already have parking overflowing from Douglas Avenue onto Clarendon,” Simard told council.
She also highlighted concerns related to the unlit crosswalk at the intersection of Douglas Avenue and Main Street, describing it as a hazard.
Jill Higgins, the architect for the project, told council that there will be several parking spots on site of the development.
“We will have six on one side, it’ll be in the exact same location as the existing parking is for the church, and there’ll be three on the other side in front of the addition,” said Higgins.
Council approved the first and second readings of the rezoning application. They are expected to hold a final vote at their next meeting in two weeks.
