The mayor of Fredericton is pumping the brakes on a plan to chop down over a dozen trees to revitalize Officers’ Square.
In a statement released Wednesday, Mayor Mike O’Brien said he has directed staff to review the project in order to retain as many large trees as possible.
“This will be done while also trying to implement the key elements of the new Square design identified by the public in the planning processes for the City Centre, the Garrison District, and Officers’ Square itself,” Mayor O’Brien said.
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The move comes after over 100 protesters held a rally in Officers’ Square on Saturday to voice their concerns with the plan.
At the time, O’Brien called the plan “democracy in action” and said he would take residents’ concerns seriously.
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In his statement on Wednesday, O’Brien said re-engagement between staff and the consulting team will begin immediately, and he expects to hear about what options exist in two to four weeks’ time.
“As Mayor, I commit to bringing the results of this re-examination forward to Council in an open public session before a decision is made on how to proceed with the project,” O’Brien wrote.
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O’Brien said the revitalization project will continue, but the scope of the project will be reduced “to ensure that the large tree at the intersection with Queen Street is unimpacted.”