Kenmount Terrace residents feeling 'betrayed' by city

People in Kenmount Terrace say they feelbetrayed by the City of St. John's.

On Monday night, City Council rezoned a piece of land to allow the construction of three apartment buildings, despite the objections of dozens of area residents.

The land had previously been zoned for a school, which many residents say was a major selling point for moving into the neighbourhood.

John Fitzgerald, who lives in Kenmount Terrace, thinks the city's recent decision to change the zoning is unfair to those who bought into the original plan.

He said people in the area are concerned that the city is not living up to early promisesthat there would be a school, parks,convenience stores and other amenities.

"They don't like to see the ground rules changed by a City Council that doesn't care for any of that," he said.

Fitzgerald is disappointed because the first houses in the area were often marketedto young families, for whom a school was a major selling point.

After a decade of steady construction, there are many houses in Kenmount Terrace, but not much else.

"They need to get their act together and they need to provide all sorts of these other things that were promised," said Fitzgerald.

Councillor Bernard Davis, who represents the area, was the only Councillor to vote against the rezoning.

He feels if the promise of the neighbourhood had been more fully realized, people wouldn't be so opposed to the apartments.

"Without the amenities they're looking for, the City has, I guess, put on the back-burner," said Davis.

"I know they're coming, but there are some things that need to come faster."

He thinks people who live in the area that he represents are justified in their feelings of betrayal.

"I don't like the idea of having something sold to someone as an idea and then something changing or pulling the rug out from under them," he said.