Editorial: Offering surplus land for housing makes sense

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The City of Miramichi’s plan to offer surplus municipal land for potential housing development is a step in the right direction if council hopes to address the region’s housing shortage.

After creating a land bank last year as part of the city’s application to the federal housing accelerator fund, council is now planning to rezone several properties in the database before offering them to developers. Knowing which lots are shovel-ready will come in handy for council and city staff when trying to attract development.

The vacant or undeveloped lots being recommended for sale for housing projects include part of the old Ian Baillie Primary School property, a tract of land near the Willie Jardine Field, an unused lot in the Bradd Street mini-home park, and parcels along Old King George Highway, Norma Street, and Hill Street.

Mayor Adam Lordon says the blanket rezonings align with best practices and are meant to pre-zone properties in an effort to maximize their development potential. We agree. Red tape has long been cited as a reason more housing hasn’t been built faster.

Reducing hurdles for developers looking to build housing bodes well for increasing the city’s residential inventory. And while buying and selling land based on the city’s needs and priorities has been standard procedure for years, municipalities should focus more on providing high-quality services to taxpayers than being real-estate developers.

We would encourage council and staff to work closely with the Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission to rezone the properties identified by housing and offer them to developers as soon as possible.