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By JENNIFER DUNVILLE
dunville.jennifer@dailygleaner.com

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The Friends of the UNB Woodlot has scored a partial victory in its quest to have larger buffers protecting Corbett Brook Marsh.

Enlarge Photo

Stephen MacGillivray Photo

Expressing concern that the University of New Brunswick hasn't been using 80-metre buffers to protect marshes and wetlands are, from left: Najat Abdou-McFarlane; Julie Michaud, climate action co-ordinator with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick; Janet Phillipps, Friends of the UNB Woodlot; Jessica Cusack, St. Thomas University student; and Anne-Drea Allison, a STU student and UNB alumna. They are standing near the site of the future Costco and gas bar.

University of New Brunswick officials have committed to using an 80-metre buffer for future development along the large wetland behind the Corbett Centre retail site.

St. Thomas University student Anne-Drea Allison has been lobbying with the woodlot group for 80-metre buffers to protect environmentally sensitive areas from woodlot development. She said the commitment is positive step, but the university has a long way to go in protecting the environment.

"I can't feel that we failed completely because we have drawn a lot of attention to issues at the woodlot, and I think the public will begin to pay more attention to what the university says versus what it is actually going on the woodlot," Allison said.

"At the same time, I am disgusted that more wasn't done in the beginning to protect the wetlands and wildlife in that area. They've really started off on the wrong foot, so it's going to be hard to trust that they'll keep their work in the future."

The Friends of the UNB Woodlot had hoped 80-metre buffers could protect the Corbett Brook Marsh, Larch Swale and other wetlands from the development of Costco and a gas bar planned for a leased lot near the Home Depot on Regent Street.

But after the group taped off what those 80-metre buffers would look like, Allison said she realized those expectations are impossible.

"If you tape off 80 metres from Larch Swale, it actually takes you basically to the middle of the New Maryland highway," she said. "And 80 metres from the Corbett Brook Marsh would take you right into the planned site for Costco, which is basically already a done deal. I feel disgusted and disappointed by it."

The Environment Department is enforcing 30-metre buffers around Larch Swale and the Corbett Brook Marsh.

And while those buffers are considered acceptable by city officials and the Environment Department's specialists, Allison said it doesn't make her feel any better about it.

"We believe that the university, in its original plans for the Corbett retail site, promised 80-metre buffers when it asked its board of governors to vote on the development," Allison said.

"I can't believe the university has gone back on its word and has been able to get away with using 30-metre buffers."

The university says minutes from the board of governors meeting on the development are confidential since the discussions took place during a closed-door meeting.

UNB officials have refused to discuss the matter until they've had a chance to review supporting documents for those board meetings.

But Greg LeBlanc, who served as a student representative on the board at the time, said he remembers being told there would be 80-metre buffers.

"I'm sworn to confidentiality because it was a closed-door meeting, but I can say I do remember talk of the 80-metre buffers," he said.

"I feel the board was misled by the administration (by implementing 30-metre buffers), and it's disappointing the university wouldn't do more to protect those areas."

LeBlanc said the nature of his career at Falls Brook Centre in Knowlesville involving sustainability and conservation could be viewed as a bias, but a section of the university's land management strategy, created at the time of the board's vote, makes reference to the 80-metre buffers.

The document, which can be found at www.unb.ca/lms/woodlot/3a.pdf, says "interim boundaries totalling 80 metres" were established to include a baseline buffer of 30 metres, a 30-metre conservation buffer and 20 metres to allow for low-impact public use.

The document also says the interim boundaries "will be confirmed and fixed" following environmental studies required as part of the development.

Dan Tanaka, a spokesman for the university, confirmed the 80-metre buffer reference is part of the land management strategy, but he said that doesn't mean the university will always use those boundaries.

"The 80-metre buffer remains an interim guideline to be confirmed on a case-by-case basis in the development area," he said.

"UNB will continue to meet or exceed environmental legislation with the goal of maintaining an 80-metre buffer when feasible as we move forward."

Jonathan Burtt, project manager for the Environment Department's project assessment section, said he doesn't know if the university considered using 80-metre buffers for the Costco and gas bar development.

But he said none of the original plans provided to the department from the university or its developer, Trinity Development Group Inc., mention the larger buffers.

"Environmental regulation is 30 metres, so by that regulation the Department of Environment cannot impose a larger buffer," he said.

"That would be up to the developer or landowner. From the original plans provided as part of the registered environmental impact assessment to the revised plans we have now, we have not seen mention of the 80-metre buffers and would only regulate the 30 metres anyway."

Barbara Nicholson, the university's associate vice-president of capital planning and property development, said since the university has been approved to go ahead with the 30-metre buffer for the Costco and gas bar, it won't be adding any additional buffers to that site.

"Since making a land deal with Trinity Development for the Corbett Centre, we've reassessed and decided to commit to an 80-metre buffer along the balance of the Corbett Brook Marsh," Nicholson said.

"I can only surmise that was, in part, due to some of the concerns we've heard about the current buffers in place."

Allison said she doesn't feel the issue is resolved and plans to continue trying to prove the university originally agreed to use 80-metre buffers on all development, including Costco and the gas bar.