Opening up small amounts of residential development inside Rockwood Park would attract more people to the urban green space, according to a consultant.

Saint John's Rockwood Park is often described as Canada's largest urban park.

City council is examining whether parts of the park should be opened up for some residential development.

Brian White, a senior planning consultant with ADI, recommends in a report that clusters of homes and low-rise apartment buildings be built inside the park, near its northwest boundary with Sandy Point Road.

He defended the proposal on Thursday night at a public meeting hosted by the group Friends of Rockwood Park, an organization created to defend the park.

"With regard to development, I've recommended about 25 to 35 acres of development occur in eight separate clusters. The total development potential of Rockwood Park is probably about 1.6 per cent," White said.

The park covers an estimated at 890 hectares of Saint John.

The planning consultant describes his proposal as bringing in attractive high-quality homes with public common areas to the park.

"Having people living in and near the park puts eyes on the park," the consultant said.

White's proposal also calls for new walking trails, lookouts and one commercial development at a new park entrance off Sandy Point Road.

Combined with new walking trails and lookouts, White said, the development will make Rockwood Park better for everyone.

Public opposition

But virtually everyone at the Thursday evening public meeting was opposed to White's vision for developing the park.

Cheryl Killam, who hikes in the park, said she was against the plan and she has a bad feeling about opening the door to development.

"What about noise from the houses? What about all that light pollution?" Killam said.

"There's stuff that's still not being brought up about it."

Many left the meeting clutching petition sheets they want friends and neighbours to sign.