Proposed 4th gas station for Borden-Carleton will now await IRAC decision
‘It's been a long couple of days,’ says owner of store next to D.P. Murphy's planned development
The future of a controversial development near the Confederation Bridge in Borden-Carleton, P.E.I., is now in the hands of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission.
Three days of hearings wrapped up Thursday in Charlottetown.
Danny Murphy, president of D.P. Murphy Group of Companies, wants to build a 24-hour Irving gas station, Tim Hortons, convenience store and two 3,000-square-foot retail spaces in the town.
The company needs IRAC's approval for a license to sell gas. It doesn't need approval to build the development itself.
Chad Ceretti, owner of Ceretti's Grocery and Hardware, said he's relieved the hearings are over. He's fighting the planned development, which would be built next door to his business.
"It's been a long couple of days, there's a weight that's been lifted, you know all the build up to it. It's been lifted, for now, until a decision is made," Ceretti told CBC News after the hearings wrapped up.
"We have a tremendous amount of support, nobody wants to see the little guy go by the wayside. It's part of P.E.I.'s charm and they're with us. They tell us they're behind us."
In a statement to CBC News, D.P. Murphy says the company maintains its "excitement regarding the proposed development in Borden-Carleton and is hopeful that the commission grants [it] the ability to serve the evolving needs of the community, Island and our valued tourists."
During the hearing, the three IRAC commissioners – Kerri Carpenter, Terry McKenna and Gordon MacFarlane – heard about the potential impact the development would have on Ceretti's.
A report prepared for Ceretti's said the D.P. Murphy project would cost the family-owned business thousands of dollars, resulting in its "imminent closure."
Chad Howatt of Howatt's Shell was an intervener in the case, but did not make a formal presentation during the hearing.
Officials with D.P. Murphy argued its development would be providing a new service to the town, which is the gateway to the province. The company said its development would have lots of parking for cars, big trucks and RVs; bright, modern bathrooms; EV charging stations; and a place where motorists can stop 24 hours a day.
'The quicker the better'
The Petroleum Products Act, which will guide IRAC in its decision, states that when issuing a gas station license, the commission should consider "demand for the proposed service, the location of the outlet, traffic flows and the applicant's record of performance."
If either side is not happy with IRAC's ruling, they could appeal it to the P.E.I. Supreme Court.
Ceretti said he doesn't know whether he would appeal the decision if it doesn't go his way, adding, "I'm not there yet."
IRAC's decision could still be weeks away.
"It's not going to be an overnight decision," Ceretti said.
"Of course we would prefer that, but that's not the case. You know, the quicker the better."
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