City of Saint John Common Council Meeting

Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. Location: Plan SJ Storefront in Brunswick Square

Special Committee of the Whole Agenda – Open Session 1.1 Plan SJ Agenda 1.2 Plan SJ : Draft Methodology for the Creation of the Options and for Growth and Change 1.3 Plan SJ Newsletter

Council Special Sesssion - PlanSJ Choices for Growth & Change

Thursday September 2nd, 2010, 4:00-6:00 pm – buffet dinner will be served

Plan SJ Storefront, Brunswick Square

Goals:

1. To ensure Council buy-in on the options for growth and change

2. To confirm and/or elaborate on the emerging PlanSJ directions

3. To prioritize opportunity areas for growth and change

4. To review and help shape the options and ensure they are communicated

effectively to enhance public understanding of the choices

Agenda

1. PlanSJ Team Presentation of the Draft Growth options / Q&A (4:00-4:45

pm)

2. Facilitated Roundtable Discussion on the Draft Options (4:45-5:45 pm)

3. Wrap up & Next Steps (5:45-6:00 pm)

Roundtable Discussion

Through an interactive session, the PlanSJ team will facilitate feedback from

Council on the draft conceptual options for growth and change in Saint John. The

input received will help shape the emerging directions and options for growth

before they are presented for public review in October.

The following questions are expected to be posed during the roundtable

discussion:

1. Do the emerging PlanSJ directions provide an appropriate foundation for

the creation of Options for Growth and Change? Would you add/refine

anything?

2. Which Opportunity Areas do you feel should be prioritized for growth and

change and why? Are there other Opportunity Areas you would suggest?

3. What do you like about the Options? Are there ways the Options could be

improved, in particular to enhance public understanding?

4. Do you have suggestions for how best to evaluate the options?

Attachments

1. PlanSJ Draft methodology for the Creation of the Options for Growth

and Change

2. PlanSJ Newsletter 2

During the first PlanSJ community event in January, the PlanSJ team heard that Saint John residents want to “Grow the City Smaller and Smarter” by directing new development to existing areas of the City, where there are already roads and City services like water and sewer. During the Opportunities and Directions Workshop held in June we heard that Saint Johners want to “Make Saint John the Best City It Can Be”.

The PlanSJ team is using all the feedback we’ve received to create choices for growth and change for the next 25 years. On October 14 2010, these choices will be presented at a public Open House and citizens will be asked to evaluate the choices. After the Open House, the PlanSJ team will use the feedback received to create a preferred choice for growth and change that will be recommended to Common Council as the basis for a Plan for Growth and Change and a new Municipal Plan.

Au cours du premier événement communautaire du projet PlanSJ qui a eu lieu en janvier, l’équipe du projet PlanSJ a compris que les résidents de Saint John voulaient« obtenir une ville plus petite et plus rationnelle » en apportant de nouveaux aménagements aux secteurs existants de la Ville dans lesquels il existe déjà des voies et des services municipaux comme l’eau et les égouts. Au cours de l’atelier sur l’orientation et les possibilités organisé en juin, nous avons compris que les citoyens de Saint John voulaient « faire de Saint John la meilleure ville possible ».

L’équipe du projet PlanSJ se sert de tous les commentaires que nous avons reçus afin de créer des choix de croissance et de changement pour les 25 prochaines années. Le 14 octobre 2010, ces choix seront présentés au cours d’une journée portes ouvertes et on demandera aux citoyens de les évaluer. Après la journée portes ouvertes, l’équipe du projet PlanSJ utilisera les commentaires obtenus pour créer un choix préféré de croissance et de changement qui sera recommandé au conseil communal pour constituer la base du Plan de croissance et de changement et du nouveau plan municipal.

SUMMER/ÉTÉ No 2-

NewsNouvelles

“Make Saint John the Best City It Can Be” “Grow Saint John Smaller and Smarter”

Mark your calendars: Choices for Growth and Change Open House October 14 from 4-9pm at Simonds High School.

À vos calendriers : Journée portes ouvertes « Choix de croissance et de changement » – Le 14 octobre, de 16 h à 21 h à l’école secondaire Simonds.

2009 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011 2011

Portée du projet

Lancement public

Définition des enjeux et des perspectives

Détermination de l'orientation

Confirmation du plan de croissance et de changement

Ébauche du plan d'aménagement

Version définitive du plan municipal

ProjectScoping

PublicLaunch

Defining Issues& Opportunities

Setting theDirection

Confirmed Planfor Growth andChange

DraftMunicipalPlan

Final MunicipalPlan

Winter/Hiver Spring/Printemps Summer/Été Fall/Automne

we are here / nous sommes ici

startdébut

finishfin

What’s NextÀ venirThe PlanSJ Team and the Citizen Advisory Committee have been very busy since the project began in January 2010. We are now working on setting the directions to guide the plan for growth and change. L’équipe du projet PlanSJ et le Comité consultatif des citoyens ont été très occupés depuis le début du projet en janvier 2010. Nous travaillons désormais sur la définition des orientations qui serviront de guides à un plan de croissance et de changement.

Watch for upcoming events and milestones in the Fall of 2010:

• Choices for Growth and Change Open House – October 14 from 4-9 pm at Simonds High School

• PlanSJ Videos (available at www.saintjohn.ca/PlanSJ)

• Council, Citizen Advisory Committee and staff workshops

• Youth Workshops

• A fourth set of information panels at the PlanSJ Storefront to explain the choices for growth and change

Contact Information

There are many ways to stay in touch with the PlanSJ project:

1. Project Storefront located at Brunswick Square

2. PlanSJ Office: 635-2000

3. Website: http://www.saintjohn.ca/PlanSJ

4. Become a fan of PlanSJ on Facebook

5. Email: PlanSJ@saintjohn.ca

Soyez à l’affût des événements et des étapes clés à venir à l’automne 2010 :

• Journée ports ouvert sur les choix de croissance et de changement – Le 14 octobre, de 16 h à 21 h à l’école secondaire Simonds.

• Vidéos relatives au projet PlanSJ (disponibles à l’adresse www.saintjohn.ca/PlanSJ)

• Ateliers du conseil, Comité consultatif des citoyens et du personnel

• Ateliers jeunesse

• Installation d’un quatrième ensemble de panneaux d’information au local du projet PlanSJ pour expliquer les choix de croissance et de changement

Coordonnées

Il existe de nombreux moyens d’obtenir des nouvelles sur le projet du PlanSJ :

1. Local du projet situé au centre Brunswick Square

2. Bureau du projet PlanSJ : 635-2000

3. Site Web : http://www.saintjohn.ca/PlanSJ

4. Devenir un adepte du Plan SJ sur Facebook

5. Adresse électronique : PlanSJ@saintjohn.ca

« Faire de Saint John la meilleure ville possible »« Faire de Saint John une ville plus petite et plus rationnelle »

This map illustrates Saint John’s evolution from a central cluster of densely populated neighbourhoods in the core to a more spread-out pattern of suburban neighbourhoods, industrial areas, and rural ‘ribbon’ settlements stretching out to the boundaries of the City. Cette carte illustre l’évolution de Saint John qui est passée d’un groupe central de quartiers densément peuplés au cœur à un modèle plus dispersé de quartiers suburbains, de zones industrielles, et de zones de peuplement rurales linéaires s’étendant jusqu’aux limites de la Ville.

Service Boundary Bornes de service

We Need New, Sustainable Directions to Guide ChangeNous avons besoin de nouvelles orientations durables permettant de guider les changements

• Saint John uses more land per person than other cities of comparable population in Canada. Because of this significant tax dollars are spent on providing services to every part of the City. Today most Saint Johners need to use a car to meet their daily needs.

• We need new, sustainable directions to guide change.

• When development in a city expands without a growing population, everything new that is built on the edge of the city means something vacant is left behind in the core.

• Today Saint John has 3 distinct development patterns: Urban Core Neighbourhoods, Suburban Development Areas, and Dispersed Rural Settlements. The Urban Core neighbourhoods are the most sustainable. Good planning backed up with a strong Municipal Plan can also increase the sustainability of Suburban Neighbourhoods.

• Complete communities are a model for sustainable change. They are made up of all the ingredients for daily living – shops, groceries, services, schools, parks and recreation facilities, community gathering places, employment, and a variety of housing types - all within a short distance of home. They are designed to support efficient transit service, walking and cycling. In a complete community, residents can live, work, play and meet all their daily needs right in their own neighbourhoods.

• Many of Saint John’s historic Urban Core neighbourhoods, including the Uptown, South End, Lower West Side, Old North End and Waterloo Village, are well positioned to attract change and growth, and become more complete communities. These neighbourhoods are generally organized by a well-connected, walkable grid of streets and blocks and characterized by a wide variety of housing types (i.e. single family, townhomes, apartments).

• The new municipal plan will include measures that protect rural areas, while allowing change and growth in existing urban and suburban neighbourhoods that support the concept of complete communities.

• For more information on input and directions from the workshop, please read the engagement report

• Saint John utilise plus de surface terrestre par personne que les autres villes à population comparable au Canada. Pour cette raison, beaucoup de dollars fiscaux sont investis dans les services fournis à chaque partie de la Ville. Aujourd’hui, la plupart des citoyens de Saint John doivent utiliser une voiture pour répondre à leurs besoins quotidiens.

• Nous avons besoin de nouvelles orientations durables permettant de guider les changements.

• Lorsque l’aménagement d’une ville s’étend sans que la population augmente, toutes les nouvelles constructions aux abords de la ville signifient qu’il y a quelque chose de vide qui est laissé derrière dans le centre.

• À l’heure actuelle, Saint John possède 3 modèles d’aménagement distincts : Quartiers du noyau urbain, zones d’aménagement suburbaines et zones de peuplement rurales dispersées. Les quartiers du noyau urbain sont le modèle le plus durable. Une bonne planification appuyée par un plan municipal solide peut également augmenter la durabilité des quartiers suburbains.

• Les collectivités complètes sont des modèles pour les changements durables. Elles ont tous les ingrédients nécessaires à la vie de tous les jours – magasins, épiceries, services, écoles, parcs et loisirs, lieux de rassemblement communautaire, services d’emploi et divers types de logement – et tous ces services sont à proximité du domicile. Ces collectivités sont conçues pour assurer un service de transport en commun et permettre la marche et le cyclisme. Dans une collectivité complète, les résidents peuvent à la fois vivre, travailler, jouer et satisfaire leurs besoins quotidiens dans leurs propres quartiers.

• De nombreux quartiers historiques du noyau urbain de Saint John, notamment le centre-ville, le quartier sud, le vieux quartier ouest, le vieux quartier nord et Waterloo Village, sont bien placés pour attirer le changement et la croissance, et devenir des collectivités plus complètes. Ces quartiers disposent généralement d’un réseau de rues et de pâtés de maisons bien relié et accessible aux piétons, et se caractérisent par une grande variété de types de logement (habitations individuelles, maisons en rangées, appartements).

• Le nouveau plan municipal comprendra des mesures qui protègeront les zones rurales tout en permettant les changements et la croissance dans les quartiers urbains et suburbains existants qui appuient le concept des collectivités complètes.

• Pour plus de renseignements sur les dons de votre entrée et les directions de l’atelier, veillez lire le rapport d’engagement.

What We’ve HeardCe que nous avons entendu

The following are some of the key themes for Saint John’s future development that came out of the focus group discussions at the Opportunities and Directions Workshop. Les points suivants constituent les thèmes clés de l’aménagement futur de Saint John qui ont été exprimés dans les groupes de discussion lors de l’atelier sur l’orientation et les possibilités.

Redefine the size and boundary of the city and stop sprawling outward ♦ Build compact and complete communities/neighbourhoods ♦ Provide access to amenities and daily needs by making walking, cycling and public transit more attractive and feasible ♦ Create diverse housing for a range of ages, income levels and lifestyles ♦ Build a plan on the assumption that Saint John’s population is stable and will not increase ♦ Develop Saint John using green principles and practices ♦ Promote a mix of land uses and housing types throughout the City ♦ Fill in under-utilized and vacant spaces in existing neighbourhoods before building in new areas ♦ Make restoration of heritage buildings easier, allowing flexible uses and providing financial incentives ♦ Increase public access to the waterfront – lakes, rivers, the Harbour and bay ♦ Support entrepreneurs and arts and culture with facilities and services

Redéfinir la taille et les limites de la Ville et arrêter l’expansion vers l’extérieur ♦ Façonner des collectivités et des quartiers compacts et complets ♦ Donner accès aux commodités et aux services répondant aux besoins quotidiens en rendant la marche, le cyclisme et les transports en commun plus attrayants et viables ♦ Créer divers types de logement pour différents âges, niveaux de revenus et styles de vie ♦ Établir un plan basé sur l’hypothèse selon laquelle la population de Saint John est stable et n’augmentera pas ♦ Développer Saint John au moyen de principes et de pratiques écologiques ♦ Promouvoir une utilisation variée des terres et divers types de logement dans toute la Ville ♦ Remplir les espaces sous-utilisés et vides dans les quartiers existants avant de construire dans de nouvelles zones ♦ Faciliter la restauration des édifices historiques en permettant une utilisation souple et en octroyant des incitatifs financiers ♦ Améliorer l’accès public au secteur riverain – lacs, rivières, port et baie ♦ Soutenir les entrepreneurs, les arts et la culture grâce à des installations et des services

Do you have other ideas that are key to the future development of Saint John? Tell us what you think! Call or e-mail the PlanSJ Team at 635-2000 or PlanSJ@saintjohn.ca or drop by Project Storefront in Brunswick Square.

Avez-vous d’autres idées clés pour l’aménagement futur de Saint John? Dites-nous ce que vous pensez! Communiquez avec l’équipe du PlanSJ en composant le 635-2000, par courriel à l’adresse PlanSJ@saintjohn.ca ou en passant au local du projet au centre Brunswick Square.

• In 1951, over 73,000 people occupied just 36 square kilometers of land. Most people lived close to work, shopping, schools and other services. In 2006, just 68,000 people occupied 316 square kilometers of land.

• In 1966 Saint John’s population was 93,000 people - the largest it has ever been! While the population has not grown since the 1960s (it has stabilized at about 68,000 people today), the development of the city continues to sprawl outwards.

• Since 1971, fewer people have settled in Saint John and the city’s population has declined by 25%, but the overall population of the Region has remained largely stable. This means many of those who have left the City now live in the surrounding municipalities.

• Between 1996 and 2001, 25% of new single family housing was built on unserviced lands (without City water or sewer).

• En 1951, plus de 73 000 personnes occupaient seulement 36 kilomètres carrés de terre. La plupart des gens vivaient à proximité du travail, des magasins, des écoles et d’autres services. En 2006, seulement 68 000 personnes occupaient 316 kilomètres carrés de terre. Utiliser un petit point/gros point pour illustrer selon la présentation.

• En 1966, Saint John comptait 93 000 personnes – la Ville n’a jamais connu une population aussi importante! Alors que la population n’a pas augmenté depuis les années 1960 (elle s’est stabilisée à environ 68 000 personnes aujourd’hui), l’aménagement de la Ville continue de s’étendre vers l’extérieur.

• Depuis 1971, moins de gens se sont installés à Saint John et la population de la Ville a baissé de 25 %, mais la population globale de la région est restée stable en grande partie. Ceci signifie que bon nombre de ceux qui ont quitté la Ville vivent désormais dans les municipalités voisines.

• Entre 1996 et 2001, 25 % des nouvelles habitations individuelles ont été construites sur des terrains non aménagés (sans les services d’eau et d’égout de la Ville).

1951 1971

36 sq.km

73,100 68,000Population In the region:

En 2006, 53 % de la population régionale vivait à Saint John.

In the region:Population

Land Base

Population de73 100 personnes

Population de68 000 personnes

2006 2006

Territoire de

316 sq.kmLand Base

Territoire de 83% 53% 47%17%Live in Saint John Lived in Saint John Lived outside

Saint John

Live outside Saint John

En 1971, 83 % de la population régionale vivait à Saint John.

This map illustrates Saint John’s pattern of land use today Cette carte illustre le modèle actuel d’utilisation des terres à Saint John

Urban Core NeighbourhoodsDéveloppement urbain

Dispersed Rural SettlementsÉtablissements ruraux dispersés

people / sq.km.people / sq.km. 491900 personnes / sq.km.personnes / sq.km.

Suburban Development AreasExpansion suburbaine

people / sq.km.440 personnes / sq.km.

Industrial Areas Parks

Commercial Centres

Primarily ResidentialEmployment Centres

Industrial Areas Parks

Commercial Centres

Primarily ResidentialEmployment Centres

Industrial Areas Parks

Commercial Centres

Primarily ResidentialEmployment CentresIndustrial Areas Parks

Commercial Centres

Primarily ResidentialEmployment CentresEmployment CentresCentres d’emploi

Primary ResidentialSecteurs à prédominance résidentielle

Industrial AreasSecteurs industriels

ParksParcs

Commercial CentresCentres commerciaux

Did You Know? Check Out These Saint John Facts Le saviez-vous? Jetez un œil à ces faits concernant Saint John

The PlanSJ team has completed a Technical Background Report examining trends in Saint John’s population, housing, economy, environment, development and use of land, urban structure, industrial land use, municipal servicing, transportation, parks and recreation, and arts, culture and heritage. the Technical Background Report and Fact Sheets are available on the PlanSJ website (www.saintjohn.ca/PlanSJ).

Here are some of the highlights from this research:

• Before World War II, Saint John’s pattern of development was compact, easily walkable, and well-serviced by street car. Neighbourhoods had a mix of uses - like shops, schools, parks and recreation, services, jobs and transit stops - within walking distance of where people lived. Today we call this a “complete community”.

• Soon after World War II, Saint John and most other North American cities began to experience sprawl – characterized by growth moving out from the centre of the city into low density (a small population occupying a large amount of land), single-use developments like housing or retail on the outskirts that are expensive to service and do not support the use of transit, walking, or cycling. Today it costs the City approximately $20 million per year to maintain roads and pipes for water, wastewater and sewage.

Voici quelques-uns des faits saillants issus de cette recherche :

• Avant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, le modèle d’aménagement de Saint John était compact, facilement accessible aux piétons et bien desservi par le tramway. Les quartiers avaient divers usages – tels que magasins, écoles, parcs et loisirs, services, emplois et arrêts de transport en commun – à une distance de marche d’où vivaient les gens. Aujourd’hui, nous appelons cela une « collectivité complète ».

• Peu après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Saint John et la plupart des autres villes nord-américaines ont commencé à s’étendre – phénomène caractérisé par la croissance se déplaçant du centre vers des aménagements à faible densité (faible population occupant un grand espace de terre) et à usage unique comme des zones résidentielles ou de détail situées aux abords de la ville, et qui coûtent cher à desservir et ne prennent pas en charge l’usage des transports en commun, la marche et le cyclisme. À l’heure actuelle, la Ville doit débourser environ 20 millions de dollars par an pour entretenir les routes et les canalisations d’eau, d’eaux usées et d’égout.

L’équipe du projet PlanSJ a rédigé un rapport technique de base examinant les tendances de la population, du logement, de l’économie, de l’environnement, de l’aménagement et de l’utilisation des terres, de la structure urbaine, de l’utilisation des terrains à usage industriel, des services municipaux, du transport, des parcs et loisirs, des arts, de la culture et du patrimoine de Saint John. Le Rapport Technique et les feuilles de renseihnements sont disponible sur le site Web du projet PlanSJ (www.saintjohn.ca./PlanSJ).

1

Growth Strategy and Municipal Plan

Draft Methodology for the Creation of the Options for Growth and Change

August 18, 2010

1.0 BACKGROUND

A number of preliminary steps in the PlanSJ process have laid the foundation for the creation of the

options for growth and change to guide planning and development in Saint John over the next 25 years.

The project was launched in January 2010 with a extensive number of stakeholder interviews and a

widely attended public open house. In the Spring of 2010 a number of technical background studies

were prepared to inform the development of the PlanSJ Growth Strategy and Municipal Plan. These

studies focused on existing conditions and formed the ‘building blocks’ for the planning process by

broadly identifying issues and opportunities to be addressed by the Growth Strategy. In consideration of

the city’s urban structure, these studies raised key questions about how the future evolution of Saint

John as a whole might be best directed. In June 2010, engagement events were held with the public,

Common Council and the Plan SJ Citizen Advisory Committee to review and discuss the findings of the

technical background studies, and to develop preliminary directions to guide the creation of the Options

for Growth and Change. Project awareness continues to be built, and input and feedback received,

through the Project Storefront and Website

The following “PlanSJ Directions” have been established to guide Saint John to be the best City it can be. Saint John proactively makes choices to shape the best future for the City. Saint John:

has the courage to say “yes” to what is in the best long term interests of the City and its citizens and the courage to say “no” to what is not

embraces its challenges and passionately defends the right choices for Saint John even when they are difficult choices to make

leads by example adopts leading edge planning principles Saint John celebrates its many waterfronts and positions them as prominent and defining elements of the City. Saint John:

embraces water as a central feature of the City’s economy and natural environment and a key to the lifestyle and collective community experience of living in Saint John magnificent tides, beaches, the Port, fishing, boating, marine ecology, natural beauty, views, recreational opportunities, and a priority on water quality

celebrates the historic significance of the waterfronts - as key trade and transportation routes and the primary reason for the City’s location

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strengthens its waterfronts - the rivers, Bay of Fundy, and lakes – ecologically through preservation, publicly by creating and maintaining access for all, and economically by promoting waterfront development in appropriate locations

Saint John is the heart of the Greater Saint John Region and is a thriving urban centre. Saint John is:

energetic, creative, entrepreneurial, and authentic

the focus for growth and change in the Region as well as a for office, mixed use, shopping, living, entertainment, innovation, arts, culture, heritage, education, urban waterfronts, tourism, and celebration

passionate about protecting its natural beauty and built heritage

a City that brings back people that have moved away and is a magnet for newcomers Saint John is comprised of healthy, unique and inclusive neighbourhoods. Saint John:

strengthens the concept of ‘one’ Saint John by working to make distinct neighbourhoods feel part of one City and one future

supports mixed income living, offering a range of diverse housing choices to meet different life cycle needs, enables people of any income level to live in a neighbourhood of their choosing

builds on the strong tradition of neighbours taking care of each other - neighbourhoods are the foundation of the strong community pride that defines Saint John

provides a range of services, employment, leisure and recreational choices within neighbourhoods to provide people with the opportunity to live, work, and play in their neighbourhood

Saint John actively pursues a progressive, robust and prosperous economy. Saint John:

recognizes an economy that has been rooted in the past but now looks forward progressively to the future

strives towards long term economic stability and social security embraces knowledge, innovation, traditional industry, green industry and emerging employment sectors

makes positive choices about the economy and about industry that are good for the people who live in Saint John and contribute to high quality of life for residents

Saint John values and protects it’s natural environment and ecosystems on land and in water. Saint John:

actively stewards ecological systems through preservation, restoration and enhancement to increase bio-diversity and to restore sensitive or diminished ecosystems

pays special attention to the relationships between the “natural edges” – the places where the built environment meets the natural environment

reduces the City’s ecological footprint and strives toward greater long term environmental sustainability for future generations

establishes linked natural areas that preserve ecological systems, connect between and across land and water, and connects people with nature

promotes best practices in storm water management, maintains fresh and coastal water quality, and promotes water conservation

develops sustainable waste treatment, recycling, and composting systems, conserves energy and reduces energy use through sustainable building design, alternative energy systems and reduced auto dependence

3

builds the City in balance with nature Saint John grows the City smaller and smarter by developing complete and compact communities. Saint John:

supports the concept that smart cities grow up not out

revitalizes existing communities through compact development and infill within the existing developed areas

develops a built form that supports efficient, convenient and viable alternative choices for transportation including walking, cycling, and transit that support healthy lifestyles

supports the long term health of the city centre by making choices that strengthen the core and saying “no” to choices that weaken the core

supports compact development by managing development and infrastructure according to the principles of completecommunities

adopts broad-based social and economic goals for sustainability, vibrancy and long term prosperity

Saint John offers an enviable quality of life, choice and experience for all of its citizens. Saint John:

builds on unique places, people and experiences

offers a diversity of arts, culture, and recreational activities and amenities

encourages and fosters a welcoming community of long time residents, newcomers, and people of different cultures

provides a high quality environment – buildings, parks and open spaces protects dramatic geography, and beautiful views and vistas

plants trees and quality landscaping to maintain and enhance natural vegetation throughout the city.

Saint John is committed to a strong plan for action and making change. Saint John:

has the courage to stick to the plan during prosperous times and difficult times

builds partnerships with higher levels of government to realize the plan

nurtures and encourages inclusive and accountable leadership at the community and municipal level

embodies a culture of integrated planning

sets priorities for capital investment

commits to stick to, monitor and implement the Plan for Growth and Change and the Municipal Plan

These directions, in combination with the evaluation criteria which are be developed to operationalize

them, as well as a fiscal impact analysis of each of the options, will be used by the public, stakeholders,

municipal staff and Common Council to compare and evaluate the options for growth and change during

the next series of engagement events, scheduled for mid-October, 2010. In-progress versions of the will

be reviewed through workshop sessions with City staff, members of the PlanSJ Citizen’s Advisory

Committee and Saint John Council September 1st through 3rd 2010.

2.0 A FRAMEWORK OF OPPORTUNITY AREAS FOR GROWTH AND CHANGE

4

While growth, change and evolution will of course take place across the City through the next 25 years,

the PlanSJ team has identified a set of 15 “opportunity areas” where more substantial growth and

change could be directed in order to effect positive change in the City’s urban structure, to support

enhanced quality of life, to enable more efficient service delivery and to contribute to a stronger fiscal

outlook for the City. The “Framework of Opportunity Areas” that will be presented during the upcoming

workshop sessions provides the basis for discussion and debate regarding the range of potential PlanSJ

Options that can be defined to direct Growth and Change. The goal is to enable the Saint John

community to actively engage in and offer their input to the various important choices the City has in

how its urban structure and land use patterns will be shaped over the next 25 years. The Framework of

Opportunity Areas provides the foundation for making choices regarding how to appropriately locate

and shape new and redeveloped mixed use areas, residential areas, parks and open spaces, major

institutional sites, commercial centres and other employment uses across Saint John over the long term.

The 15 Opportunity Areas that will be presented can be organized into the following distinct categories:

Redevelopment Opportunity Areas are locations within both the urban and suburban portions of Saint

John where renewal and intensification of the built environment would be desirable, and consistent

with the emerging Plan SJ Directions outlined above.

Greenfield Development Opportunity Areas are currently undeveloped locations beyond the built up

area of the city where new primarily residential development may be supportive of the existing urban

structure and the emerging directions for growth and change.

Work completed to date for each of the Opportunity Areas describes a potential mix of land uses that

would support and enhance the surrounding community and preliminary calculations of the amount of

new development they could accommodate. The capacity to accomodate new development on these

lands exceeds the projected demand for new residential, commercial and industrial development over

the planning period. This means that strategic decisions will need to be made regarding which

Opportunity Areas should be the focus of future development.

3.0 CREATING THE OPTIONS FOR GROWTH AND CHANGE

Creation of the Options for Growth and Change will involve an iterative approach, recognizing the inter-

dependence of three related variables: the amount of land required to accommodate the anticipated

people, jobs and development over the next 25 years; the best locations for this growth; and the

character, form and density of development to be permitted.

O How Much? An assessment of population and employment forecasts, as well as historical and

projected development trends will inform a set of targets for population and jobs, to be

accommodated in a specified “building program” and associated “land budget” for each of the

alternative Growth Plan Options. The “building program” will include the projected number of

buildings by land use and building type so that density assumptions can be made and the

associated “land budgets” defined. “Land budgets” will be created by applying varying density

assumptions by land use/building type to the building program.

5

o Where? Building on the locations identified by the Opportunity Areas Framework, the Options

will explore strategic directions to guide and prioritize where new growth and redevelopment

takes place, in such a way as to support the Plan SJ Directions, evaluation criteria, and feedback

from the public, stakeholders, staff and Common Council. The Options will highlight different

ways in which the City could invest in infrastructure like roads, piped services , transit and

recreation.

o What Does It Look Like? Following the selection of the Preferred Option, policies and

designations will be prepared to clearly articulate the desired character, form, use and density

of development during Phase II of the project: Preparation of the Municipal Plan.

4.0 A SUMMARY OF THE CONCEPTUAL OPTIONS FOR GROWTH AND CHANGE

BASE CASE: CONTINUING THE STATUS QUO

The base-case scenario simply projects the development patterns experienced over the last 25 years

forward over the next 25 years. The Techncial Background research and PlanSJ Directions make it clear

that this is not a sustainable future for Saint John as it will continue to compromise municipal service

delivery, finances and quality of life. It will be presented as “base case” against which the other options

for growth and change can be evaluated.

Key summary features include the following:

Continued sprawl and generally very low densities across all land uses

Installation of new infrastructure (roads and servicing)

Ongoing challenges from municipal services being spread over an even larger geographic area

impacts the quality and costs of delivering recreation programming, facilities and parks,

infrastructure, and transit.

Continuation of sprawl results in more traffic congestion from increased reliance on the car and also

the loss of open space, resource and environmental habitat areas.

OPTION 1: PRIORITIZING A STRONG URBAN CORE

This option will focus the majority (approximately 75%) of future growth and change into those

Opportunity Areas located within the urban core of the City. Approximately 20% of the remaining

development would be within Opportunity Areas located within the suburban parts of the City. The

remaining 5% of development would take place through minor infilling in other areas of the City. With

the exception of targeted infilling in historic rural settlement areas like Lorneville and Ketepec, no

development will be permitted beyond the urban service boundary.

Key summary features include the following:

a focus on stabilization of the city’s urban areas to overcome disinvestment and create healthy

mixed income communities, particularly in Priority Neighbourhoods

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Uptown as a focus for living, working, culture and recreation

emphasis on transit supportive patterns

directing future retail to existing retail centres in denser formats; main streets (targeted and

prioritized); and new mixed use areas

concentrating new office development in the Uptown

encouraging more compact forms of industrial development. No further industrial lands will be

designated but tests will be defined to allow consideration of special exceptions. The potential to

trim areas already designated for industrial development will be explored, particularly beyond the

urban service boundary

no new infrastructure (roads and servicing) will be created, except to complete prioritized

communities

a strong focus will be placed on investments in public amenities like Harbour Passage, walkable,

pedestrian streets, higher quality urban spaces and parks intended to substantially enhance quality

of life in the urban core

Recognizes that stable existing neighbourhoods will see some level of development but that

buildings will be of same scale and character as what’s already there

OPTION 2: BALANCNG BETWEEN URBAN AND SUBURBAN FORMS

In this Option future growth will be distributed roughly half and half between urban and suburban

Opportunity Areas. A hierarchy of nodes and corridors that prioritize linkages and good places for

intensification will be defined to support transit and other forms of non-automobile travel.

Approximately 50% of the development would be within Opportunity areas located in the urban parts of

the City, with the majority of remaining development (approximately 45%) directed to Opportunity

Areas within the suburban areas of the city. As in Option 1, approximately 5% of development would

take place through minor infilling in areas of the City not identified as Opportunity Areas. With the

exception of targeted infilling in historic rural settlement areas like Lorneville and Ketepec, no

development will be permitted beyond the urban service boundary.

Summary features:

balances between the goal of stabilizing the city’s urban core to overcome disinvestment and create

healthy mixed income communities and the goal of creating more complete and walkable suburban

neighbourhoods.

this option implies slower growth in the core. While it will contain more suburban forms of

development, these will be more compact than experienced in the last several decades in order to

promote more sustainable and complete community fabric.

development will be organized in transit supportive patterns, by focusing new medium and higher

density development along current or potential transit corridors

Uptown will continue to be a focus for living, working, culture and recreation

new retail will be directed to existing retail centres; main streets (targeted and prioritized); and new

mixed use areas

new office development will be concentrated in the Uptown

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more compact forms of industrial development will be encouraged and no further industrial lands

designated (while providing tests to allow consideration of special exceptions) and considering the

potential to trim areas already designated for industrial development beyond the service boundary

Some new infrastructure (roads and servicing) will be required to enable “greenfield” development

and complete prioritized communities

targeted investments in public amenities like Harbour Passage, walkable, pedestrian streets, higher

quality urban spaces and parks will still be a priority although in more limited ways as there will be

less population in the core to support them

stable existing neighbourhoods will see some level of development but that buildings will be of

same scale and character as what’s already there

The goals of the September working sessions with staff, the Citizens Advisory Council and Common

Council will be to:

1. To confirm /refine the emerging PlanSJ directions

2. To respond to and help prioritize identified Opportunity Areas for Growth and Change

3. To review and help shape the Conceptual Options for Growth and Change

4. To ensure that the Conceptual Options for Growth and Change are communicated

effectively to enhance public understanding of the choices