The City of St. John’s has issued a fact sheet related to matters related to the council’s position on the ongoing dispute at the Outer Battery. According to the council, the problems in the narrow zone go beyond the lights.
Residents are frustrated by the overly bright light in the area. The dispute escalated, pitting neighbor against neighbor and generating memes and comments on social media.
The city contends that it did not remove the lights in question under Section 377 of the City of St. John Act because it has no jurisdiction over public health, nor does it have a public health expert on staff to inform council of the same.
The mayor has asked the province to investigate whether the excessive lighting violates the provincial Environmental Protection Act.
The city, which does not consider the lights a public nuisance under current law, says the actions it has taken in response to ongoing complaints from the area have been extensive. They investigated more than 26 complaints, from operating without permits and general property conditions to possible hazards, illegal signs, excessive noise and nuisance lighting.
The city says that while some of the complaints are still open, most are closed and the issues have been resolved or no action can be taken.
Concerns have also been raised about property ownership, and staff are currently mapping land boundaries to better understand private ownership versus city ownership. Parking issues continue to be a bone of contention, with the city responding to 111 complaints related to illegal parking in the area.
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