City debates selling land parcel near hospital to School District

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Mayor and council discussed the potential ramifications of a bylaw that, if approved, would sell land adjacent to the hospital for a future school.

The bylaw in question is a city-initiative to sell land directly north of the Fort St. John Hospital on 112 Avenue, east of 86 Street, to School District 60. The subject property is directly east of a 2.24 ha portion of land that School District 60 bought in 2015 and is in line will the proposed school site location — determined through the charrette process for Green Ridge Heights in 2009.

The bylaw would also see the zoning change from low density residential to institutional.

Mayor Lori Ackerman was the first one to voice disagreement with it.

“I think its the wrong spot,” said the Mayor. “I think we need to make changes to a location for an elementary school, and this will just take us down a path that — it’s going to be harder to turn around.”

Mayor Ackerman said, unless the school district installs appropriate parking, she predicts the placement of a school creating a problems with traffic blocking emergency vehicles.

She brought up traffic problems at Robert Ogilvie Elementary as an example that council has discussed before.

“My only concern there is the traffic, but that’s an issue with every school we have currently,” Councillor Byron Stewart said. “If it is set to the north-end of those parcels, then I don’t see as much of an issue with it.”

“The area is probably the right location, obviously, for a school. We do have room to move things around … provided that that school is moved back to the north on that parcel,” said Councillor Dan Davies, adding that the City has a great relationship with the School Board, and a solution can be worked toward.

To further discuss the bylaw, a public hearing be scheduled for April 11 at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers.