Raworth Heights resident Andrew Wilson addresses council during public hearing on proposed zoning change

Tantramar Town Council is expected to decide next month whether to start the process of creating an industrial zone next to residential properties on Raworth Heights in Sackville.

“The reality is that we do have a business and a property, an industrial property, that is situated immediately adjacent to a residential area,” Sackville resident Andrew Wilson told council during a public hearing on Monday.

Wilson, who said he was speaking on behalf of more than 20 neighbours, was referring to a proposed 2,750 sq. ft. expansion of a Beale and Inch truck maintenance garage and storage building on its property at 146 York Street.

The area is zoned Urban Residential, but the construction company has been operating there for 55 years.

However, under provincial legislation, Beale and Inch cannot expand buildings on the site unless council changes the zoning to Industrial/Business Park.

“It’s not entirely ideal,” Wilson told council, “but extra care and consideration needs to be given to this situation.”

Letter to council

He referred to a three-page letter signed by 14 residents of Raworth Heights that was sent to council on September 22.

Among other things, it expresses concerns about decreasing property values because of noise, the vibrations of heavy equipment, dust, air pollution and, its associated health and environmental effects.

“Though we were aware of the business when we bought on Raworth, all of us — from the 1960s to the most recent purchase only a few years ago — have noticed a steady increase of activity and use of spaces abutting Raworth over the years,” the letter says.

“More recently, this has become a dramatic and problematic increase.”

During the public hearing, Wilson wondered how re-zoning the property to industrial to allow for expansion of the maintenance and storage building would protect residents.

“There’s a concern that it will lead to an increase in noise and traffic and to longer hours of operation,” he said.

He acknowledged that Beale and Inch would be required to maintain trees and vegetation that separate its property from residences as well as to construct a berm with a six-foot-high solid wooden fence on top of it.

But he said the natural barriers between the properties are inadequate and would need to be substantially increased.

Company responds

Brett Beale, president of Beale and Inch addressing council

Brett Beale, president of Beale and Inch Construction, told council that the company’s operations are not changing.

“We do have some more staff, we have a few more trucks, but we need a side on our building for maintenance,” he said. “That’s all we’re asking for.”

He added that company trucks leave in the morning, then return at night to get fuel and park.

He said staff have been warned not to start their trucks at 5:30 or 6 in the morning.

Beale added that aside from a bigger truck maintenance garage, the company is trying to do some organizing by creating a staff parking lot and a better lunch room.

He pointed out that the company has been in Sackville for 78 years.

“We’re very happy to be here,” he said, adding that Beale and Inch creates “a lot of employment” with about $1.5 million in annual wages and spends almost a million dollars a year on fuel.

“We’re here to help better the community,” he concluded.

At its next regular meeting on October 8, council is expected to decide whether to proceed with the re-zoning of the Beale and Inch property to industrial. Such a change would likely require three readings at two council meetings.