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A plan that will guide the development of what is now a quiet, largely wooded area in Fredericton’s east end into rows of homes and businesses is set to go before city council for consideration.
The Southeast New Neighbourhood Secondary Municipal Plan is a draft document by Fredericton planners that envisions new roads, businesses and homes that could accommodate as many as 7,000 new residents in the Doak Road area by 2046.
On Monday, city clerk Jennifer Lawson gave public notice that bylaws have been drafted to amend the city’s municipal plan, and create a new secondary municipal plan geared toward the Doak Road area.
The bylaws effectively kick off the process to have the draft plan for the 148-hectare area be considered by council, Marcello Battilana, assistant director of development services for the city, said in an interview after Monday’s council meeting.
“Ultimately, it is a council decision whenever you’re changing the municipal plan.”
Fredericton has seen rapid population growth in recent years.
In 2024, city staff considered whether the Doak Road area could be developed to help ease the housing crunch.
A feasibility study was conducted in November of that year, and public engagement sessions were held in March of the following year.
“On the south side of Fredericton, we only have one really strong development node,” Battilana said. “That is the southwest.
“And what we need to do is we need to take a look at the south side of Fredericton, and we need to have another really active development node. So that node is being centred around the Doak Road area.”
The draft Doak Road plan would see the development of diverse housing types, along with mixed commercial-residential buildings. (Aidan Cox/CBC)
Last August, city staff released a draft development plan for the area.
“It’s going to be essentially an opportunity to once again create a complete community,” Battilana said.
“So all land uses are, are being considered, and they’re being considered in an organized fashion around a central kind of community hub node at the centre of the area. And then it also considers other items like the commercial component, mixed-use development where potential parks could fit into that.”
The draft plan for the development of the Doak Road area includes new park space, roads trails and hundreds of new homes. (City of Fredericton)
Fredericton has a municipal plan that guides the general development principles across the city, along with secondary municipal plans that provide more detail for each area of the city.
Battilana said having a plan for the Doak Road area is important in ensuring there’s an established vision for how it gets developed.
“It forms the, the basis of really good planning and really good decision-making.
“So what we want to make sure is that these areas are properly integrated into the city, not only from just a land use perspective … but also from a transportation perspective, from a trail way perspective, from a infrastructure perspective.”
Members of the public will have a few chances to weigh in on the draft plan at the Feb. 18 planning advisory committee meeting and at the March 9 council meeting. Councillors would have a final vote March 23.