By Mark Squibb
November 24, 2023 Edition
An important step in the confirmation of a 75-hectare land reserve near Ragged Beach was deferred last week.
The Province announced the land reserve in September to restrict development of Crown Land to reduce light pollution and protect seabirds inhabiting islands in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve.
The creation of the reserve requires a change to Witless Bay’s Municipal Plan. A motion to ask the Province to start the process to make that change, which includes a public hearing, approval from all other municipalities on the Northeast Avalon, and an amendment to the St. John’s Urban Region Regional Plan, was up for a vote but newly elected member Margaret Swain asked her colleagues to defer it.
“I haven’t had enough time to study this to where I would feel comfortable voting on it,” said Swain, who was acclaimed to council on November 1. Last week’s meeting was her first on council since being acclaimed.
Councillor Jacob Hayden seconded Swain’s request.
“This is Margaret’s first meeting, and she really only got in with us last week, so I have no issue giving her the time to get caught up on everything,” said Hayden. “There’s a lot of paperwork to go through, we’ve had several meetings about all of this over the past four months, and so I have no issues with her getting caught up.”
Councillor Ralph Carey said the amendment is about ensuring the Town’s map and the Province’s are in agreement.
“What this is, is that the St. John’s Urban Regional Plan and our plan have to coincide,” said Carey. “One can’t say chalk and the other say cheese.”
Carey’s motion is to “rezone Crown Land in the Ragged Beach Dark Coast area from Residential and Rural to Conservation.” It’s unclear whether that would stop all development of any privately-owned land in the area.
When the Province announced the Crown Land Reserve, it indicated willingness to make exceptions and work with private landowners who have previously established rights.
Contacted by the Irish Loop Post, Witless Bay’s chief administrative officer Jennifer Aspell said there is only one reserve in effect, that being the provincial one. She added the Town is reviewing the 2013-2023 Municipal Plan and Development Regulations and public consultation will be part of the process.
