Planning board recommends Charlottetown council not approve community fridge

The area near 46 Valley Street is pictured. (Source: Google Maps)

The Charlottetown planning board is recommending city council not approve a motion to allow a community fridge to remain in the downtown area.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the planning board voted unanimously to recommend council not allow a site-specific exemption for a community fridge in the parking lot across the street from 46 Valley Street. According to a report submitted to the board, the fridge has been at the site for roughly three years without proper approval.

A resident filed a bylaw complaint about the use of the fridge to city on Jan. 25, triggering the application to allow it to stay.

“The proposed accessory land use (community fridge) is not desirable for the appropriate development or use of the land within the Parking Zone (P) given the reported nuisances and impacts reported by neighbouring land owners on an ongoing basis,” the report reads.

Several people attended a public meeting to express their thoughts on the fridge on July 17 while the city received 46 written responses from residents offering support, criticism and conflicting feelings for the resource.

The report notes the general comments in support of the community fridge said it offers a stigma-free, low-barrier option to tackle food insecurity in the area and it is conveniently located for public transit users.

Supporters of the fridge also said the site is underutilized from a land-use perspective.

The report said people who oppose or are critical of the community fridge say it encourages loitering and trespassing while also causing safety concerns at all hours of the day for nearby residents.

“Police have been called on many occasions to try and address the situation,” the report says. “A sensitive use (childcare centre) is located directly across the road from the proposed use, which has reported to have been subject to negative spillover effects and impacts.”

City council will now vote on the matter after receiving the planning board’s recommendation to deny the request. Council will next meet on Tuesday.

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