Fredericton — In a narrow victory at Monday night’s council meeting, a proposal to rezone a couple of adjoining Gibson Street properties to build townhouses was struck down by a margin of one vote.
The proposed 88-unit townhouse development will not go ahead, thanks to the five councillors who voted against the rezoning of the “parkland” — which is literally just a patch of weeds.
“That’s the only place left nearby where my dogs can shit and I don’t have to clean it up,” said one unnamed resident who lives across the street. “I don’t want a bunch of humans living there — at least not in townhouses.
“It just wouldn’t suit the aesthetic of the area,” which, our reporter observed, currently consists of a handful of mismatched single-family homes, weeds, a few scrubby trees, used syringes and several mounds of dog feces. “I’d be okay if these supposed ‘people who need homes’ pitch a tent — at least that’s not so permanent.”
City staff confirmed Monday that there is also no plan to turn the area into an official city park.
“We’re just going to keep it exactly the way it is, for now,” said Coun. Eric Megarity. “These weed patches are the lungs of our city — we want residents to continue to breathe in dog poop aromas and the smell of junkies smoking meth in the bushes. Once these dogshit patches are gone, they’re gone forever.”