*Updated to correct errors regarding building height and bylaw amendment information from the PNR's print edition.
Sidney’s mayor says the public will have plenty of opportunity to weigh in on plans to redevelop property to the north of the Sidney Pier Hotel.
Called Seaport Place, the owners have plans to tear down the former Mineral World/Captain’s Table building. It will be replaced by up to three, two-story residential buildings with some commercial or institutional space. A portion of the land on the waterfront side will be turned into green space, owned by the Town.
Mayor Larry Cross said the process is right at the beginning with a developer open house held Jan. 16.
The land, currently owned by the Town and leased to the development partnership for the next 42 years, will be transferred to those developers under the proposed deal. in exchange, said Cross, the Town gets the green space for a park expansion and the tax revenue from a newly-developed site.
To get to that point, Cross said the Town is going through its rezoning steps and will consider bylaw amendments to allow residential units to be built on the property. These, he said, will be public processes.
‘It will,” he said, “depend a bit on the residents of Sidney. They’re the ones to say yea or nay on it.”