Can somebody explain to me how the Water St / Graham Ave residents have any leg to stand on regarding their opposition to this project?.. The proposed terminal will sit in relatively the same location as the old grain elevator, and I’m pretty sure that the elevator was louder and dustier than this newly proposed facility.
This attitude of “not in my back yard” is quite disheartening … we need these projects, and I for one welcome Pinnacle Renewable Energy
I 100% agree!
Those residents bought their property next to industrial zoned land, they shouldn’t be surprised to see industrial development.
Well written opinion piece in the Northern View:
thenorthernview.com/opinion/153138145.html
they don’t have a leg to stand on but when it comes to public opinion legality does not apply, if they can turn the public against it then they win legal or not
I like the comment at the end of the Northern View article which discusses being open for business. While I can understand the need to have a waterfront plan in place, it’s embarrassing that it has to occur at this point. To be fair though, we are in a state of transition in which Ridley Island has been targeted in plans for most of the future industrial development. I’m somewhat surprised that this project has been targeted for the old Westview site when there is increasing development at Ridley. Why not put it there? That’s not to say that I don’t support the project on the waterfront but why there instead of Ridley? In a perfect world it would be nice to eventually have our waterfront to be developed into park land and something other than industrial, but at the same time, beggars can’t be choosers. This town was built on industry and in order for the town to survive, we will have to rely on further industrial development.
Check out www.pelletfreeneighborhood.wordpress.com for why the pellet plant should be located at Ridley Island.
In short, major fire and explosion hazard, potential for hazardous dust emissions, and a down grading of the quality of life in town which in turn depresses the economy. i.e. this is not a nice place to live or visit
This is not a Water st/Graham Ave issue, it is a community wide issue and involves how we envision this place to be.
Zoning in that area has also been changed since the days of Rupert Cement and the grain terminal to RM3 to encourage residential development.
The waterfront plan should have been in place years ago, however this is a new council since Dec and they are keen to complete it. It is the port that is dragging their feet on that one right now.
The port owns the land…thus they should get to decide what to do with that land…end of story.
Bottom line, despite the problems that come along with this pellet plant, is the home owners on Water St/Beach Place CHOSE to buy land next to a traditionally industrial area, so IMO they really have no leg to stand on.
The Port does not own the land. That is crown land managed by the federal government on the behalf of all of us. The Port is an entity created by Parliament to manage its wide and diverse land interests and has directors appointed by the city, province, and federal goverment.
Therefore the Port is required to manage the land in the best interests of everyone. The question at hand is what is in the best interest of the community? Are we better served by having this facility on Ridley Island and ultilizing the waterfront for other types of economic development?
Just build it on the Water front since I don’t see anything else being built there in the next few years. Something that will bring jobs and so many rupert people just keep on bitching and bitching LOL
Unbelieveable are some of the comments here.
You have all become a hoard of whore mongers…BUSINESS>>>DEVELPOMENT>>JOBS>>INDUSTRY…Christ we HAD all that at one time and no one ever did anything for the good citizens of PR. I have lived here all my life and with the Port of Prince Rupert taking over its has gotten worse. They have eliminated water front access in Prince Rupert and at Ridley Island.
They need to take a lesson from Alcan who basically built Kitimat pools and Ice rinks.
There needs to be a balance here folks…there is industrial land at ridley, watson island and in the industrial park. I wouldnt want a pellet plant in my front yard nor would I want on the best land that rupert has to offer.
Im all in favour of new businessprovided they aint a head shop on 3rd ave…BUT we need to have access to our waterfront…If i was on council i would freaking GIVE the mill to CN and its partners in exchange for the rail yard on the waterfront be relocated so we could have a real park on the waterfront…
The current state of affairs thats on the waterfront is an absolute disgrace and and embarassment…
EFF off pellet plant…go somewhere else in the area…
I have to assume that the people doing the complaining about Pinnacle Pellets would be people that live in the area and have first-hand experience with Pinnacle.
For those that don’t know, there has been a pellet facility at Ridley for a number of years. Not sure if it’s Pinnacle or Houston pellets…same dif.
The dust produced from this operation was so bad that Ridley Terminals refused to handle the product until the dust issue was settled, which from what I hear, never happened.
The coal port was not designed to handle, really, anything but coal. The owners of the pellet facility made the same promise…no, of course it’ll be virtually dust free…not.
Maybe the dust issue has been remedied, and maybe it hasn’t. Do you want Prince Rupert in a constant haze of pellet dust? It is unhealthy to say the least.
Eventually, hopefully, the waterfront area will be a fantastic residential area. The area in question is just too close to the main town.
The old grain elevator was noisy enough, and at times dusty, but nothing compared to what pellet dust is like…I worked at the old grain until we all moved to Ridley Island.
Again, in my opinion, this is not a ‘Graham and Water Street’ issue at all.
to bthldog and jees,
so if the Port decided to build a nuclear facility on that portion of the waterfront, you would be all for it? Afterall, the Port owns the property and they should be able to build whatever they want, right?
hell yea put a nuclear power plant in prince rupert, lots of jobs during construction and we wouldn’t have to flood millions of acres of forest land for hydro power
Just my two cents here… I have never posted on here before but this pellet debate is driving me crazy.
Let’s look at the facts that are out there instead of pulling stuff out of nowhere and exaggerating it until we are blue in the face. If you read the environmental assessment screening report found on the pinnacle website pinnaclepellet.com/images/DR … Report.pdf it says at full build out it would be 20-25 ships per year so even in the slight chance dust was an issue it wouldn’t be as described earlier as a constant wood pellet dust haze. Lets now look at why they have decided to go to westview. It is an existing industrial land and therefore the environmental assessment is 1/100 of the time that it would have been on an property on ridley so they clearly want to get operating and employing asap…which is a nice change (take note canpotex).Finally anyone that has the idea that Cn would even want Watson island in exchange for the property down on the waterfront is high off their tush. As much as i would like to see a park and seawall like amenities down there it just isnt going to happen so long as those tracks are down there and news flash…they aren’t going anywhere for the next century. Instead of picking on this project we should be working with the port and cn to work on other areas around the community where we could get better waterfront access. Finally I am sorry residents in the area but if you had concerns you shouldn’t buy near an industrial area even if there is the slightest chance it could be redeveloped
Could not agree more^
[quote=“teddybear”]Just my two cents here… I have never posted on here before but this pellet debate is driving me crazy.
Let’s look at the facts that are out there instead of pulling stuff out of nowhere and exaggerating it until we are blue in the face. If you read the environmental assessment screening report found on the pinnacle website pinnaclepellet.com/images/DR … Report.pdf it says at full build out it would be 20-25 ships per year so even in the slight chance dust was an issue it wouldn’t be as described earlier as a constant wood pellet dust haze. Lets now look at why they have decided to go to westview. It is an existing industrial land and therefore the environmental assessment is 1/100 of the time that it would have been on an property on ridley so they clearly want to get operating and employing asap…which is a nice change (take note canpotex).Finally anyone that has the idea that Cn would even want Watson island in exchange for the property down on the waterfront is high off their tush. As much as i would like to see a park and seawall like amenities down there it just isnt going to happen so long as those tracks are down there and news flash…they aren’t going anywhere for the next century. Instead of picking on this project we should be working with the port and cn to work on other areas around the community where we could get better waterfront access. Finally I am sorry residents in the area but if you had concerns you shouldn’t buy near an industrial area even if there is the slightest chance it could be redeveloped[/quote]
Well stated and agreed!!
“The PRPA acknowledges that there are recreational and public issues that require consideration. Safe and secure Port operations remain paramount objectives of the PRPA. While efficient and safe operations of the Port are important, the PRPA also recognizes that the public has an on-going interest in some of the recreational attributes, particularly of Ridley Island. Although the safe operations of Port facilities cannot be compromised the PRPA will give consideration to:
Working with a community liaison committee to identify recreational areas in and around the Prince Rupert area to identify suitable areas or initiatives to enhance public recreation opportunities;
Whether it is feasible for the PRPA to assist in public recreational improvements to Diana Lake near Port Edward (approximately 16 km east of Prince Rupert on Highway 16);
The overall feasibility of extending the waterfront walkway; and
Potential for creation of a viewing or observation/interpretive area(s) to communicate the importance of
Port activities and facilities.”
" For the medium term, the PRPA does not envisage any development for Lelu Island, but long term opportunities suggest use of this island for bulk commodity terminals and general industrial uses. More detailed site analysis, planning, and infrastructure analysis, including consideration of possible recreational features will occur prior to any development considerations."
If people think that this is a “Graham/Beach/Water St issue”, you need to give your heads a shake… That’s a bad attitude, for one, and it’s completely ignorant of the complexity of issues surrounding Pinnacle Pellet and their site, for another. Yes, having 7 x 200 ft silos in front of my house will spoil my view, and that’s a real bummer, but let us put that aside for a moment… What really aggravates me about this thread, is the misguided attitude that myself and my neighbours deserve to see our neighbourhood turned into an industrial wasteland because we CHOSE to live in a “traditionally” industrial neighbourhood… huh??
My husband and I bought our house about 10 years ago, right about the time that the pulp mill was going TU… We must have looked for over a year, at about 70-80 (maybe more!) houses, before we found this beautiful 5 bedroom house on lower Graham Avenue… WOW! The owner was a mill employee and he had another mortgage as well as this one, so he sold us this house cheap (hmm, now I know why)… What fools we were, buying a beautiful house, lots of bedrooms for the kids, a school nearby, an ocean view, and inexpensive to boot… yes, we were told that the Port owned the land across the lane. Did we (or I, I guess I should say) know that the land was designated “light industrial”? No, I did not… I had never even heard the term “light industrial” until last week… Moreover, I didn’t really care! All I cared about was that, I got a cheap house on the waterfront… yay me!
But all that is beside the point.
What really bothers me is the opinion of some, that my kids health and well being, and my neighbours kids health and well being don’t really matter as much as the rest of the children in Prince Rupert, because we bought cheap houses on the waterfront… We deserve to see the value of our homes plummet by at least 60%, leaving us with absolutely NO resale value, because we were arrogant enough to buy adjacent to port land… I guess we should just shut up and take our lumps… thank you very much for your support… That’s a very dangerous attitude to have… I sure hope I’m around to see the day when you need someone at your back ‘btthedog’, because, rest assured, It won’t be me… I’m gonna sell my house cheap and get the hell out of town!!
Any takers???
from the Northern View, May 30, 2012
Indeed, Reitsma said there was a mix of positive and negative feedback on the project, as well as some good comments that will be considered going forward.
“I think a lot of people wanted a greater understanding of the dust in particular. A primary concern raised by the people in the neighbourhood to the east of the project is the impact on property values if the harbour view changed…That comes back to the balance of what we’re bringing with this project to the community and the surrounding communities,” he said, noting property taxes, employment, noise reduction through work with CN, cleaning up the Westview site and increased pedestrian access to the waterfront as positives.
my questions;
I’d like to know what Reitsma means by increased pedestrian access to the waterfront. That portion of the waterfront is closed and will remain closed to pedestrian as well as private vehicle traffic. Also the issue of property taxes. the property taxes in section 2 (graham, beach and water) will decrease because of the decrease in property value but the rest of the city will be increasing to make up for the shortfall. In speaking with the project manager, Pinnacle will not be paying taxes and nor does the Port Authority so Prince Rupert homeowners will have to fill the void. How is increasing rail traffic going to decrease the noise level? The one thing he did get right is employment. initially there will be 4 full time employees but that may increase possibly to 12.
[quote=“midge”]If people think that this is a “Graham/Beach/Water St issue”, you need to give your heads a shake… That’s a bad attitude, for one, and it’s completely ignorant of the complexity of issues surrounding Pinnacle Pellet and their site, for another. Yes, having 7 x 200 ft silos in front of my house will spoil my view, and that’s a real bummer, but let us put that aside for a moment… What really aggravates me about this thread, is the misguided attitude that myself and my neighbours deserve to see our neighbourhood turned into an industrial wasteland because we CHOSE to live in a “traditionally” industrial neighbourhood… huh??
My husband and I bought our house about 10 years ago, right about the time that the pulp mill was going TU… We must have looked for over a year, at about 70-80 (maybe more!) houses, before we found this beautiful 5 bedroom house on lower Graham Avenue… WOW! The owner was a mill employee and he had another mortgage as well as this one, so he sold us this house cheap (hmm, now I know why)… What fools we were, buying a beautiful house, lots of bedrooms for the kids, a school nearby, an ocean view, and inexpensive to boot… yes, we were told that the Port owned the land across the lane. Did we (or I, I guess I should say) know that the land was designated “light industrial”? No, I did not… I had never even heard the term “light industrial” until last week… Moreover, I didn’t really care! All I cared about was that, I got a cheap house on the waterfront… yay me!
But all that is beside the point.
What really bothers me is the opinion of some, that my kids health and well being, and my neighbours kids health and well being don’t really matter as much as the rest of the children in Prince Rupert, because we bought cheap houses on the waterfront… We deserve to see the value of our homes plummet by at least 60%, leaving us with absolutely NO resale value, because we were arrogant enough to buy adjacent to port land… I guess we should just shut up and take our lumps… thank you very much for your support… That’s a very dangerous attitude to have… I sure hope I’m around to see the day when you need someone at your back ‘btthedog’, because, rest assured, It won’t be me… I’m gonna sell my house cheap and get the hell out of town!!
Any takers???[/quote]
Listen, I feel for you really I do it sucks. HOWEVER, the land has been designated for industrial for years and years I mean theres a bloody rail yard there sure its been all but dead until recently but…
Your realtor was obviously terrible and negligent as they should have and were legally obligated to inform you that your property was next to industrial zoned land. I am looking to purchase a house and have had to skip a few “deals” because they were next to industrial zoned land and I do not want to be potentially faced with the exact issue you are now facing.
You admittedly got a deal when you purchased your house so should you decide to sell you should be able to at least recoup your costs otherwise it was not much of a deal. Sure your house would be worth less if this project went ahead but frankly that was the risk you took when you purchased where you did. You need to put the blame for any depreciated value where it belongs on yourself or your realtor. When purchasing a house you need to do your due diligence ESPECIALLY when its a “deal”.
Again, I feel for you its a shitty break but one that should have been part of the risk assessment you did when making the purchase.