Nearly 200 more apartment units are coming to Ryan Street in Moncton’s north end.
Council approved a rezoning application for three four-storey buildings this week.
They will be located just east of Horsman Road near Coleman Lane.
Each of the three buildings will have 63 units for a total of 189, according to a staff report.
No one spoke at Monday’s public hearing, but one person did write a letter concerned about traffic.
That same concern was raised by several councillors, including Dave Steeves, who had the lone nay vote.
“Somebody from Ontario comes here and laughs at us when we talk about traffic, but for Moncton, every 5 o’clock, traffic there on Horsman, it’s backed up all the way down Berry Mills, it goes past the Coliseum and sometimes gets as far as Killam,” said Steeves.
City staff said that while this development by itself does not justify any transportation improvements, a draft North End Transportation Plan has been completed.
It recommends improvements at the Ryan Street / Horsman Road / Twin Oaks Drive roundabout and the Berry Mills Road / Horsman Road intersection.
“Please note that at this time the plan is currently confidential due to land matters and ongoing discussions with [the] New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure,” the city said in response to the resident’s concerns.
Coun. Bryan Butler also raised concerns about traffic and the fact that area schools are already overcrowded.
“The French school is filled, Le Sommet. The other school, Northrup Frye, we had to change that, a lot of the kids from the north end are going down to the new one by [Bernice MacNaughton High School],” he said.
Despite the concerns, council passed the required readings to allow the project to proceed.
The developer said new buildings will have one- and two-bedroom units, accessible units, amenity space and surface parking.
