Millennium Drive

The company that helped Walmart enter the Canadian market has plans for a new retail development in Quispamsis.

SmartCentres is in the process of purchasing and developing land at 25 and 39 Millennium Drive, an area that includes a pair of gas stations, a grocery store and a retirement home.

There’s been no indication what kind of business or businesses would be coming to the site.

Acadia Broadcasting requested an interview with a representative of SmartCentres regarding the property.

The company responded with the following statement:

“SmartCentres national development program is underway with plans to build new shopping centres in communities across Canada, in response to demand from local residents for more value and convenience for their everyday shopping needs.

 “We look forward to continued collaboration with the Town of Quispamsis as we deepen our already considerable investment in the Atlantic provinces. More details will be shared in the near future.”

Planning advisory committee hears application

On Monday, Quispamsis’s planning advisory committee held a special meeting to hear an application for several variances needed to build on the site.

Greg Zwicker of Dartmouth-based architecture and planning firm zzap appeared before the PAC on behalf of SmartCentres.

The development needs a reduction in the number of parking places, the number of required loading bays and a front yard setback variance to build a 13,230-square-metre retail centre.

Zwicker said because of the size of the requested variance – from the required 15 metres down to three metres along the street line – there has been discussion of additional landscaping in an area where the store would be close to Millennium Drive.

“This was put forward to planning for consideration to see what we can do to reduce that impact along that section of streetscape,” he said.

Zwicker also noted concerns had been raised about traffic, so a consulting firm was brought in and found that trimming some trees and bushes would allow for proper sightlines.

Planning and development services manager Dwight Colbourne said in the case of the parking and loading bay requests, they were coming to the PAC simply because of the need for the variances.

“When we do a jurisdictional scan across various other municipalities, you’re getting differences in parking stall requirements from a 450 range up to a 600 range,” Colbourne said.

“What we found is these types of developments, when it comes to parking stalls, essentially what it means is that if the parking isn’t there, then obviously it impacts the business in terms of patrons that attend.”

Colbourne also detailed some environmental issues that would need to be addressed.

He said a water course runs through the property, and added the developer has been in contact with the Department of Environment about that.

According to Colbourne, there is also utility infrastructure that will need to be relocated.

Traffic is also an issue that would need to be addressed.

Colbourne said the ideal scenario would involve a solution that doesn’t introduce new traffic concerns or affect pedestrian movement.

“Just because of the volume of traffic that goes through there, our reports are coming back essentially saying that during peak times, you’re getting … about 14,000 vehicles through there, that lower section,” he said. “So that’s where our focus is right now moving forward.”

The committee voted to unanimously to approve the variances, subject to a number of conditions.

That includes an environmental review, infrastructure relocation and repair by the developer, and ensuring safe public access to the town’s satisfaction.