Council Tuesday night granted trucking company Bailey Western Star a permit to expand its business despite complaints from a Campbellton group.
Darryn Striga, on behalf of the Campbellton Neighbourhood Association (made up of Campbellton residents and businesses), told council to hold off on making a decision to grant a major development permit to expand Bailey Western Star’s business.
The permit will allow the company, which specializes in truck repair and servicing, to build a vehicle wash bay as well as a two-storey indoor shop area.
“I want to make it clear that I’m not here tonight to suggest the permit be denied,” Striga said. “On the contrary. Bailey Western Star is a very long-term community business in the Campbellton area and their success should rightfully be applauded. I do in fact wish to see their business grow.
“That being said, I feel it is incumbent upon the city when considering the development permit application to ensure that Bailey Western Star remain a positively contributing corporate citizen of our community.”
Striga then proceeded to show a slideshow of photos of large trucks parked along the side of the road in and around Redwood Road.
“The activity generated by the success of Bailey Western Star often results in large vehicles being parked on the road, limiting visibility and depleting the aesthetics of the area,” said Striga who flipped to another photo. “This image shows a large truck parked alongside a house, though in the interest of being candid I cannot confirm for a fact that this truck or trailer is owned by Bailey Western Star, just the proximity to the business.”
When contacted by the Mirror, Bailey Western Star did not want to comment but a staff member did say the trucks parked along the side of the road are not the company’s, but rather, customers’ vehicles.
Striga said the Campbellton Neighbourhood Association did an extensive survey on the walkability, mobility, security, assets and liability of the area and encouraged council to take a look at the study before making a decision on Bailey Western Star’s permit. Striga also suggested the city first consider its own walkability study which was recently conducted.
Striga said some of the suggestions to improve the area around Bailey Western Star are to paint the curb to create a no-parking zone and plant some trees and shrubs around the property line.
“I’m asking council merely to defer the matter until the content of a walkability study can be examined or until you choose to view what the Campbellton Neighbourhood Association has assessed,” Striga said.
Council, however, chose to proceed with the application and issued Bailey Western Star its major development permit.
Coun. Claire Moglove said issues such as beautification and traffic should be dealt with at the building stage and are not relevant to the development permit application.
“This is a major development permit application and if it fits within the zoning, if it fits within the form and character guidelines, then it fits within the form and character guidelines,” Moglove said. “I will have some questions for staff in terms of a landscape plan but I don’t think to defer until a walkability assessment report has a bearing on whether or not a development permit goes forward on an area that is zoned for the use in which is it being proposed. I did hear the concerns raised but I don’t think denying the development permit at this stage is the way to alleviate those concerns.”
Coun. Ron Kerr, who has the Campbellton portfolio, disagreed.
“This one little neighbourhood is an area basically where trucks rule and in terms of walkability and public safety, it’s not been taken into consideration,” Kerr said. “So I think this is an opportunity to do something for the neighbourhood.”
Kerr, however, was overruled by council which voted in favour of issuing the development permit with Kerr opposed.
