[Moncton] Northwest/Magnetic Hill Developments

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

A couple of new tenants for vacancies in the Lounsbury Home Decor Centre.

- Apparently a pita restaurant of some form is moving into where Quizno's Sub was located.
- A smoke shop is going to occupy the old Jane's Gluten Free store.

The name of the new pita restaurant will be Pitaza

[Mapleton_Roadie]

Does anyone know yet what is being built next to Sleep Country?

[Patapouf26]

Magnetic Hill Winery Expansion :
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...sion-1.3661488

Good news!

[MonctonRad]

I like the new awnings they installed for the new Pitaza restaurant in the Lounsbury Centre on Mountain Road:

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I like the new awnings they installed for the new Pitaza restaurant in the Lounsbury Centre on Mountain Road:

I read an article about them. They are supposed to sell Pitas and Pizza. Interesting combo!

[mctnguy]

Originally Posted by josh_cat_eyes

I read an article about them. They are supposed to sell Pitas and Pizza. Interesting combo!

My wife and son went there and both loved it.

[Scarface]

I seen a crane, and other equipment on the lot to the right of the Cat Store, and seems the for sale sign is gone. Anyone know why there clearing out that lot?

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by Scarface

I seen a crane, and other equipment on the lot to the right of the Cat Store, and seems the for sale sign is gone. Anyone know why there clearing out that lot?

It looks like they are building a bridge across to the other side. There is a precast bridge sitting on the ground next to the crane and I know the cities trail plan included one following the brook and then wheeler up to the Morton overpass.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by josh_cat_eyes

It looks like they are building a bridge across to the other side. There is a precast bridge sitting on the ground next to the crane and I know the cities trail plan included one following the brook and then wheeler up to the Morton overpass.

Indeed. There is also a lot of work going on along the north side of Kendra St. as well, which I'm sure is also related to the Rabbit Brook Trail which is under construction.

I must admit, that looks like a pretty big assed bridge for such a little brook though........

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

proposed Holiday Inn development on Mapleton, located to the north of the TCH:

Here's a Global News article about opposition to this development.

http://globalnews.ca/news/2817184/mo.../?sf30731250=1

According to the article, a traffic survey which has already been done estimates that an additional 5,000 cars per day will pass through the intersection if this development gets built. That's not insignificant. I believe upgrades to the Mapleton/TCH interchange and to the Mapleton/Northwood intersection will be necessary. I also think Northwood should be extended to Gorge - it's time......

I must admit I had a bit of a chuckle over the chief opponent to the development who commented:

“We don’t want this to happen until our kids are safe here, our dogs are safe here, and everyone who travels this road is as safe as possible,” said Quinlan.

It was a little novel throwing in the comment about fear for the safety of our canine friends on top of the usual admonishment "but think of the children!"

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Indeed. There is also a lot of work going on along the north side of Kendra St. as well, which I'm sure is also related to the Rabbit Brook Trail which is under construction.

I must admit, that looks like a pretty big assed bridge for such a little brook though........

Theres going to be no elevation change tho, so right from the top of one bank to the top of the other. Would have been nice to have this when I lived on MacBeath biking to work.

[Feneant]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I must admit I had a bit of a chuckle over the chief opponent to the development who commented:

It was a little novel throwing in the comment about fear for the safety of our canine friends on top of the usual admonishment "but think of the children!"

There are 'posters' going around against the development, saw one at work yesterday on a billboard. So what do these people want, should we skip developing the city and making it compete against large towns like Halifax and co.?

[David_99]

Originally Posted by Feneant

There are 'posters' going around against the development, saw one at work yesterday on a billboard. So what do these people want, should we skip developing the city and making it compete against large towns like Halifax and co.?

If it's the same group I've seen, it looks like they aren't totally against the development, they just want the city to fix the intersection BEFORE the thing is built and the traffic increases by 5000+ cars a day. Like they are currently doing on Elmwood before that big development is started. Which makes sense. At least put up some traffic lights.

[MonctonRad]

I agree.

I don't think these people are absolutely against the project either. They just want the current traffic situation fixed before exacerbating things any more.

These people have valid concerns.
- There is only one way out of their neighbourhood.
- Mapleton (north of the TCH) essentially switches from a country lane to a major five lane boulevard in the space of 100m.
- There are no lights or traffic controls at the Mapleton/TCH intersection.

Things are already bad and will only get worse with this proposed development.

I don't think this development necessarily needs to be delayed. If the city/province promises to fix the problems at the Mapleton/TCH intersection concurrent with the construction of this new development, this might be able to satisfy everyone's concerns.........

[habs33]

Its an expensive one too.https://www.telegraphjournal.com/tim...ok-trail-final

Construction of the trail includes the installation of a $250,000 bridge for foot and cycle traffic as well as service vehicle. The bridge is now being installed over Rabbit Brook, just south of Carson Avenue, east of Mapleton Road.

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Indeed. There is also a lot of work going on along the north side of Kendra St. as well, which I'm sure is also related to the Rabbit Brook Trail which is under construction.

I must admit, that looks like a pretty big assed bridge for such a little brook though........

[Taeolas]

Being able to handle a service vehicle is probably why it's so over engineered and expensive. And why they're trying to keep it level. Otherwise they'd probably toss a culvert down there, pile in some gravel and call it a day.

[Mapleton_Roadie]

Originally Posted by Feneant

There are 'posters' going around against the development, saw one at work yesterday on a billboard. So what do these people want, should we skip developing the city and making it compete against large towns like Halifax and co.?

What we want is the development to happen in a responsible way. If the investment (and that is exactly what it will be) is made in the infrastructure to support the current situation and support future development, then the development will come much easier.

I can only imagine that it is hard to attract investors and future projects by saying "Hey come look at this piece of prime swamp land I slipped and fell in, I think this would make an excellent spot for us to invest a tonne of $$ into. There is little to no service here, but the land is cheap so why not??"

Caledonia Industrial Park is a nice example. The infrastructure was installed and all a developer needs to do is buy the land and literally park on the nice curbed road designed to handle industrial traffic and daydream on what to put there.

With Moncton Chrysler Superstore to be relocating to Northwood Rd, the filling and possible expansion of the other retail developments already started along Mapleton, possible relocation of Costco to Day and Ross property, the Province and the City should fast track making this area safer and more conducive to the residents impacted by the retail encroachment and the consumers and other users who routinely use this corridor to access their destination.

It isn't about us trying to impede growth of our beautiful City, it is about us urging the City to do it responsibly, to be a leader and not a follower in urban planning. No one wants chaos, and trust me, with today's current traffic numbers, poor signage, poor lanes, and people's personal agendas to rush, be ignorant to lanes, warnings, signs, texting that is exactly what we have now and it will just get worse.

The petition to stop the rezoning is a stall tactic, to keep this at bay until at least the proper traffic control and calming is put in place before the project opens up.

So please sir or ma'am, don't belittle our right to safety with your remarks.

[Feneant]

Originally Posted by Mapleton_Roadie

[long blurb]

So please sir or ma'am, don't belittle our right to safety with your remarks.

You bring up valid points and in fact, if you'd be so kind as to post a link to your petition (assuming it is allowed) I will even go sign it. I won't sign anything against the development but the road definitely needs to improve in that area. But considering how the Moncton engineers are doing an absolutely terrible job of road changes (Carson Drive comes to mind, and that new change to the Costco entrance where going straight towards Kent has a 10 feet lane after the turn), chances are they will make it 10x worse with something ridiculous like adding a merge left into the onramp after Day Ross and adding 2 traffic lights in a row on the offramp and right into the subdivision then calling it a day.

I am 100% for the development of our city but will be the first to admit I rue coming off the highway from the Elmwood direction and turning left on the Mapleton exit and this will no doubt exasperate the situation.

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by Feneant

You bring up valid points and in fact, if you'd be so kind as to post a link to your petition (assuming it is allowed) I will even go sign it. I won't sign anything against the development but the road definitely needs to improve in that area. But considering how the Moncton engineers are doing an absolutely terrible job of road changes (Carson Drive comes to mind, and that new change to the Costco entrance where going straight towards Kent has a 10 feet lane after the turn), chances are they will make it 10x worse with something ridiculous like adding a merge left into the onramp after Day Ross and adding 2 traffic lights in a row on the offramp and right into the subdivision then calling it a day.

I am 100% for the development of our city but will be the first to admit I rue coming off the highway from the Elmwood direction and turning left on the Mapleton exit and this will no doubt exasperate the situation.

I believe the Costco change was done by CREIT but they must have the same staff as the city, they leave potholes next to east side marios there ALL of last summer, and there's more so far his summer.

As for Mapleton road, would it help to have the exit come onto queenway? Then you could have a left turn only lane where the exit currently is and have a single set of lights on the corner where the development is proposed.

[Mapleton_Roadie]

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/Sto...3GYlPA5Yitpw35

That is the link to the petition but it isn't a live e-version and if you sign you need to contact Andy Quilian to come get it by the 17th. It does state the wish to stop development North of TCH Hwy 2 just to give you all a heads up if you had planned to sign. Here is the name of the Facebook group if anyone is interested:
Stop The Re-Zoning Residential corner of Queensway Dr and 777 Mapleton Rd!

I am signing not so much as to squash any future development but to delay it. We all know that in time whether it be residential or commercial the north side will fill out. I just want the required safety margins built in first and not playing a game of catch up.

I would of course prefer residential development, let the commercial stuff fill in the voids that already exist in the city core.

It'd be great to see the Old CN yards and rest of CFB Moncton utilised, and the list could go on.

Thank you though for your consideration.

In reply to Josh cat eyes, the original plan had the WB off-ramp feed into Queensway but then they realised the calamity of highway traffic feeding into a quiet (almost dead-end) residential street. Queensway was then rerouted a wee bit so ramp could come to the stop sign that is there now. Most folks don't heed the stop, more like a yield and when walking or biking it has resulted in many times of nearly getting taken out cause drivers rush and only scan for other vehicles then floor it.
Future "plan-subject to change", 2-5 years out has CoM realigning Queensway with Northwood and some sort of intersection there with signs or lights. The dilemma of traffic coming off of TCH will still exist though until Province adds longer and wider exit ramp, and possibly widens Mapleton from 3 lanes to 4 or 5 there. Traffic now can back right up into the WB throughway of TCH. Maybe one of those dreaded roundabouts is what is needed??
All in all it is a very murky issue, not cut and dry unless proper care is given to planning, which at this point in time seems non-existant, especially when Head Planner is on record citing in no way would he want to walk with a child there.