Frustrated residents of the Outer Battery and their supporters have a rally planned outside St. John’s city hall this afternoon ahead of today’s council meeting.

Residents are embroiled in an escalating sequence of property disputes in the area. Concerns have been raised over excessive lighting in the area, but residents say they’re not getting any satisfaction from city council.

RNC were called to the area Friday night to investigate following reports that chainsaws had been taken to the deck outside Charlie Pearcey’s twine store—a popular heritage property in the area.

Last week Mayor Danny Breen met with reporters to outline the city’s position, indicating that existing laws are sufficient and they can’t introduce new bylaws because of a single instance.

Resident Christina Smith says they’re frustrated with the city’s response.

Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O’Leary is bringing forward a motion on excessive lighting as a public nuisance at council today.

Mayor Danny Breen meanwhile has issued an open response to the concerns raised by Christina Smith and others related to the ongoing problem in the Outer Battery, and it appears a solution may be available to address residents’ concerns.

Breen says as part of their ongoing research into ways to address the issue, the city recently discovered a possible solution within the province’s Environmental Protection Act.

The act addresses issues related to the owner or occupier of land on which an adverse effect has occurred, and includes things like heat, radiation and other forms of energy, which he says includes light as a form of electromagnetic radiation.

Breen has copied both the MHA for the area, John Abbott and Environment Minister Bernard Davis on his response and says the city feels it might be able to act more quickly to find a more immediate solution than that laid out under current municipal legislation.