Council votes against rezoning that would allow storage buildings
New Glasgow council voted against a rezoning application on Monday night following a hearing where a Vale Road resident said the local African Nova Scotian community would consider it environmental racism if it was approved.
Several community members came to a public hearing before the regular council meeting to voice concerns about a proposed amendment that would rezone a piece of land at 31 Vale Rd. from residential to light industrial, allowing McKay Fuels to build additional storage space for propane tanks.
Kevin McKay, owner of McKay Fuels, didn’t speak at the hearing, but said Tuesday it was the first time he had heard concerns from residents.
“I’m not looking to cause any trouble with neighbours. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
He explained he was trying to rezone a section of land he already owns in order to build the storage building farther from residences. McKay said his business outgrew the space on Merigomish Road where V-Filling Station is established and he was looking for storage space, noting he owns a fair bit of land in the area.
There is room to build behind an existing building, currently rented to a dog daycare business, on the Vale Road piece of land. If he put the building there, it’s already zoned for light industry, however, he said he wanted to locate it farther from nearby houses.
Some of the concerns raised by citizens included the visual aspect and how it would affect property values in the area. They also expressed concern about an increase in fumes.
McKay said the building wouldn’t have been visible and wouldn’t be near the road.
Vale Road resident Jocelyn Dorrington suggested allowing the rezoning to go through would set a precedent for other properties to be rezoned to industrial. She asked what other areas in the town have had zoning changed from residential to light industry, but records weren’t available at the meeting.
“If you can’t tell me within the last three to five years what other section of New Glasgow went from residential to light industry, then why is it happening in our area of town?”
Dorrington said many places in the province have experienced unintentional environmental racism.
“It’s never about the intent. It’s about the impact. We’ve had the dump that was put down in Upper Big Tracadie, a black community. We have Africville, a black community that was displaced. So don’t tell me environmental racism does not happen in light of business. I hope you do the right thing and I hope you do not perpetuate environmental racism with the only established historical black community in Pictou County. It’s on your shoulders,” Dorrington said, with Crystal States later adding the consensus of the local black community is that to allow industry to rezone the area would be, in their view, an example of disproportionately placing environmental hazards near a marginalized community.
Dorrington brought up the property’s proximity to the Africentric Heritage Park, suggesting use of the park would decline if industry was located in view of the park.
She suggested the Parkdale area would be a better fit.
“If we have Parkdale out there for industrial use and we want to improve that or increase the number of people out there, this rezoning request needs to be denied and redirected to build your stuff out in Parkdale.”
All of the councilors voted against the motion for the amendment.
Coun. Troy McCulloch said he likes what McKay is doing, but noted it is a residential area.
“I think any of us are happy to see a business wanting to expand, to do well, but I also think that we have to look at the other side of this coin and say where is it expanding and where do we hope it does well. And we can’t fix what was done before, but we can fix what’s going forward. And I think we need to stop this tonight and refer it back to staff to hopefully work with the proponent to find another option. But it is on us to protect the residential neighbourhoods.”