Planned parking lot gets mixed reviews from Moncton High neighbours

Residents of Moncton's Marjorie Street have varying reactions to news that the former football field on Church Street, where it crosses over Wheeler Boulevard, is being converted to a 559-stall parking lot.

The property was recently sold along with the former Moncton High building to Heritage Developments, with the understanding that heritage structure would be preserved.

The developer applied to rezone the area last Tuesday. The proposed plans call for the building to be converted first into a call centre and retail space and later, an arts centre.

But as residents living nearby are realizing, the transformation comes at a cost.

Ian Johnson said he walks through the former football field most days and he'll miss it.

"There's enough congestion with Wheeler [Boulevard] that you don't need to be looking at more metal," he said. "I'd rather be looking at green grass than looking at a bunch of cars."

Stephanie Morton agrees.

"Not worth it, we need more places for kids to go."

A few doors down, 18-year-old Sarah LeBlanc can remember using the fieldas a child.

"I'd go there and play sports," she said, adding it would be better for the neighbourhood for things to stay as they are.

But other residents feel it's time for a change. John MacDonald's house backs onto the football field, and he doesn't mind seeing it converted into parking.

"I'm for any development around here, especially what they are doing with Moncton High," he said."Glad to hear that somebody was taking the bull by the horns and doing some good development."

Across Marjorie Street, Mike Miller took a break from repairing his truck to offer his thoughts.

"It's an increase in business and it creates income industry and occupations so why not," he said. "When I look at the field over there, it's hardly being used now."

But Candace Dugas worries about the wildlife that calls the field and surrounding bushes home.

"I know there's a family of pheasants that are in the field quite often and we see them in the park almost every day," she said.

She admitted, however,there is a dearth of parking spots inthe neighbourhood.

"There are a lot of people that are parking on our street now from the [Georges-Dumont hospital],so there is a need for more parking."

Plans presented at the last city council meeting show a buffer zone will be maintained between the houses and the parking lot.

"The city is currently working with the developer and his design team to find solutions to firstly create screening and buffering through careful landscaping and interior parking lot vegetation," City of Moncton communications director IsabelleLeBlancwrote in an email.

In recent years,the city has moved away from surface parking.

To the dismay of residentsand business owners, no new parking spaces are designated for the yet-to-be-built downtown centre. The city also traded away a large portion of the Robinson Court parking lot for green space in front of Mountain Road's Castle Manor, writing in a clause that if the parking lot is not developed, it could be bought back for "fair market value."

LeBlanc points out that the 559spaces, "are to be seen as a 'temporary use'that can easily be reconverted in the future."

She said the city hopes to change the way people travel, which will reduce the need for parking but said, "this takes time."

There is no clear timeline for the parking project, but the city says an open house will be held to inform residents of the developer's plans before the matter is brought back tocity council.