The proposed expansion of the Spruce Lake Industrial Park in Saint John, N.B., is on hold as city councillors and administrators engage in further discussions, CBC reported.

City council voted Tuesday night to create a task force on the project, indefinitely postponing a public hearing originally scheduled for November 12. Council’s move came after the city’s planning advisory committee recently decided not to vote on the project.

That decision came at the committee’s latest meeting, at which residents of the Lorneville neighbourhood expressed concerns about about the project’s potential effects on air quality, noise, water, and overall quality of life. Some residents also criticized the speed of the environmental impact assessment process, CBC reported. The task force will comprise city staff and Lorneville community leaders.

Mayor Reardon and councillors supported the plan to slow the project down, according to CBC.

“I love it, Reardon told CBC., “It aligns us with the decision of [the planning advisory committee], the claim that there is more work to be done between the two parties — I agree.

“I think that demonstrates that council and staff have heard the residents of Lorneville. If we want to move forward, we want to move forward together. … We’ll create a task force. We’ll have residents on it, we’ll have staff on it, figure out what those sticking points are and what the path forward is.”

The city has requested 1,591 acres of land from the region’s development corporation for the expansion. A required municipal plan amendment would redesignate 1,040 acres of land as employment and heavy industrial from park and natural area.

Photo: City of St. John