Saint John Mayor Ivan Court is claiming that land now under review for development in the Millidgeville area is not part of Rockwood Park.

Even though the land in question, which runs along Sandy Point Road, has appeared for years on city maps as being part of the city's urban park, the mayor said it's being wrongly included in the park.

And Court said the reality is the area that is being investigated for possible residential construction is already well developed.

"All this is, is infilling a few spaces that are along there," Court said.

"So this mindset that we are going to go in there and take over the park. No, some of the people who are protesting actually live on that strip."

Saint John's Rockwood Park, which is estimated at 890 hectares, is often described as Canada's largest urban park.

The city's council is examining whether parts of the park should be opened up for some residential development.

The mayor said the development proposals simply fill in spaces between existing buildings. A maximum of about 14 hectares of mixed development is proposed in eight parcels off Sandy Point Road.

A consultant told a public meeting last week that the development proposal would bring in attractive high-quality homes with public common areas to the park.

Brian White, a senior planning consultant with ADI, told the meeting called by the Friends of Rockwood Park that the development could actually bring more people to the park.

New thinking on borders

And Saint John's mayor said it is time to lose the idea the land in question is part of the city's large urban park.

"No, it's not part of Rockwood Park. It's never been part of Rockwood Park," Court said.

"It's park land but it's not part of Rockwood Park. The golf course is not in Rockwood Park."

The park boundary question has come up repeatedly in recent months.

Those fighting the development proposals have demanded the city outline where it now believes Rockwood Park's borders stand.

Monica Chaperlin, a member of the Sandy Point Road Neighbourhood Group, is one of the people who is asking the mayor to set clear boundaries of Rockwood Park.

"If it is Rockwood Park land then you must really state that to the public. Then you must clearly state that to the public and your intentions to sell it, why you want to sell Rockwood Park," Chaperlin said.