Saint Andrews property owners speak out against wharf refurbishment plan
Opposition comes after the project design was selected through a public voting process that began in 2023.
Some property owners in Saint Andrews are speaking out against a plan to refurbish the Market Wharf, although the design was chosen by the public in a community vote.
The wharf, long overdue for repairs, is central to both tourism and industry in the area. Two years ago, the town voted on a design they felt would best reinforce the existing structure.
But property owners near the wharf are fearful the chosen design may cause damage to their own properties and are awaiting the results of a study to assess the environmental impact of the project.
Cindy Kohler lives just a few coastal properties away from the wharf and is concerned about erosion and sediment damage from the refurbishment.
"It's really frustrating," Kohler said. "They're just looking into the environmental study but it's very late in the game and it's something that should have been done in the beginning."
Kohler is worried about the amount of infill for the wharf extensions, which will add a significant chunk of solid rock and steel on the existing mudflat.
She said severe storms cause water levels to rise significantly on her property and thinks the infill would only worsen flooding in the future.
"The former mayor said that we own waterfront property and we should be taking care of it in our own way, that erosion is going to happen regardless," said Kohler. "We do have a good seawall here and we have taken care of it."
Kohler is not alone in her concerns. Matt Abbott, the Fundy Bay Keeper with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, said the concerns are legitimate and bring a whole new set of challenges to this coastal community.
"When we build hard infrastructure like infill for a wharf and we change where the energy from the tides are flowing, we can have an impact on that coast," said Abbott.
The Conservation Council is concerned that not enough has been done to get an accurate prediction of the consequences of this chosen design.
"Wharves are long lasting infrastructure, so you only get to make that design decision once," said Abbott. "I know they're in a tricky situation so I think it's wise to take some time."
The design of the refurbishment was selected using a community voting process, but the final decision to go ahead with this project still lies with town council.
The town recently hired an engineering firm to assess the concerns of property owners.
"We hope that doing this mitigation and the Gemtec study we will know whether or not that will impact the people who have come forward," saysKate Akagi the acting mayor of Saint Andrews. "Right now, we don't know whether it will or it won't."
Gemtec is a New Brunswick-founded multi-engineering firm that specializes in areas such as environmental engineering.
"[The property owners] are allowed to voice their opinion and we're going to listen," Akagi said. "They just need to know that holding it back, we are going to miss another tourist season which is not good for our community."
The town received $5.4 million from the federal and provincial governments for the refurbishment. The town will cover the remainder of the estimated $7 million price tag.
"We need to be doing the wharf, we hope, before 2026 or we lose our funding," Akagi said. "Not that we won't get it again but we will have to reapply, so it will be a long process once again."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
