The City of St. John’s has issued a fact sheet related to questions surrounding council’s position on the ongoing dispute in the Outer Battery. According to council, the issues in the tight area go well beyond lights.

Residents are frustrated with excessively bright lights in the area. The dispute has escalated, pitting neighbour against neighbour and generating memes and commentary on social media.

The city says it hasn’t had the lights in question removed under section 377 of the City of St. John’s Act because it does not have jurisdiction over public health, nor does it have staff who are experts in public health who could inform council on same.

Over the past week, we have received many questions on the Outer Battery light issue. This blog post on the City’s website answers your questions and explains Council’s position: https://t.co/5nMP0oeunc pic.twitter.com/MlYuxiSEOQ

— City of St. John's (@CityofStJohns) January 20, 2023

 

The mayor has asked the province to see if excessive lighting violates the provincial Environmental Protection Act.

The city, which does not consider lighting as a public nuisance under the current legislation, says the actions taken by them regarding ongoing complaints from the area have been extensive. They have investigated more than 26 complaints—ranging from working without permits and general property conditions to possible hazards, illegal signage, excessive noise and nuisance lighting.

The city says while some of the complaints are still open, most are closed and matters were either resolved, or no action could be taken.

Property ownership concerns have also been raised and staff is currently mapping land boundaries to gain a better understanding of private versus city-owned property. Parking issues are a continued bone of contention, with the city responding to 111 complaints related to illegal parking in the area.