Moncton planning committee balks at west end school plans

Members of Moncton's planning advisory committee appeared unimpressed with New Brunswick's plans for a new school at the edge of the city's west end neighbourhood.

"It's very disappointing to be given this project at this stage that goes against so many of the principles of the municipal plan," committee member Roxanne Richard said during a meeting held virtually on Wednesday evening.

Construction of the anglophone kindergarten to Grade 8 schoolon provincially-owned land beside Bernice MacNaughton High School is expected to start this spring.

It is scheduled to be open for the 2024-25 school year. It will replace Bessborough and Hillcrest schools that aremore centrally located in the neighbourhood.

"There's not a lot to celebrate with this project," Richard said, saying the committee was essentially left to weigh in on minor details.

The committee was asked to approve or deny bylaw variances related to the width of stalls in the school's parking lots, whether to allow those lots to not be landscaped and whether to allow the school to be on the same property as another building.

The committee approved most of the requestsbut told the province to redraw its parking lot plans to follow a city bylaw requiring landscaped islands in parking lots.

The vote sets up a decision by the province whether to challenge the decision at the New Brunswick Assessment and Planning Appeal Board or use its power to ignore municipal planning rules.

The comments from committee members and members of the public during the meeting touched on a long-running debate about the location of the school. In 2020, Education Minister Dominic Cardy rejected pleas to reconsider the location.

Some parents wanted the new school built on the grounds of Bessborough. In 2020, staff with the province said that property was too small and would require the new school to be up to three floors. That was considered problematic in the low-rise neighbourhood because elevators don't work during fire alarms, posing risks for people with disabilities on an upper floor.

Plans released this month show the new school will have up to three floors.

Opponents of the new site have said it would require cutting too many trees, building over a wetland, and increased reliance on busing and driving students who otherwise could walk or bike.

The committee was told that about 45 per cent of Hillcrest's 157 students and 48 per cent of Bessborough's 635 students now walk or bike to school. Only 38 are expected to do so for the new school because of its location, resulting in more students being driven or bused.

A staff report to the committee also revealed the province had gone ahead with tree cutting on its property this year without municipal approval. Planning staff told the committee there would be no repercussions for the bylaw violation.

Even municipal staff appeared to have reservations with the location.

"From an urban planning perspective, there are certain deficiencies with the location of this proposed school - it is recognized this will be replacing two walkable schools with one car-dependent location that is situated partially in a wetland and next to a major highway," a staff report states.

"However, it is important to recognize the jurisdiction and role of the province to select this location and this decision must be respected."

Joshua Adams, a senior planner with the city, repeatedly said that it wasn't within the committee's mandate to question the location.

Adams also said the province has the power to ignore municipal bylaws and could go ahead without seeking approval. Committee member Myles Malley questioned the point of the committee hearing the motion.

"Why are they wasting our time with this?" Malley asked.

Adams said the city was hoping to build relationships with the province, which under local governance reforms is expected to provide municipalities greater input on school site selection.

"I think everyone is aware that there have been schools in other parts of the city that have not been in line with planning policy," Adams said, an apparent reference to Moncton High School.

Committee member Frances LeBlanc asked about the school's capacity and whether it has been planned with the city's growing population in mind.

Several schools the province has opened in the Moncton area in recent years have quickly hit capacity, requiring the use of portable classrooms.

Josh Nowlan with the province's education department said the school is designed for 780 studentsbut can fit up to 1,000 if all 40 classrooms are filled to capacity.