Canada Lands Company has hired planning experts to help it decide what to do with Upton Farm, a large green space in the north of Charlottetown.

Those in favour of keeping Upton Farm as a park would like to retain the views to the water.
(CBC)

The 100-hectare property was approved last summer as the site of a new subdivision, but public protests against the development have sparked a new round of consultations. The Toronto-based Canadian Urban Institute is meeting with interested people and groups this week to see if some kind of agreement can be reached.

"The fact is that everybody who lives in Charlottetown has a say in how Charlottetown grows and how the assets that are available to Charlottetown contribute to Charlottetown's future," Jeff Evenson of the Canadian Urban Institute told CBC News.

"What we're interested in is how to talk about that."

The institute met Thursday with representatives of Island Trails, who want to see the space remain green.

"We'd like to see a lot of trees there but still have it open, so people can enjoy what view there is down on the riverside," said Tim Connor of Island Trails.

This dialogue is coming after Canada Lands Company got municipal approval to build a 20-home subdivision. The resulting protests prompted city council to ask the Crown corporation to withdraw its development plans.

Ron Paschal said Canada Lands Company is in no hurry to bring in the bulldozers
(CBC)

But Ron Paschal, Canada Lands Company real estate manager, said the corporation is willing to take more time to consult.

"It's [the institute's] job to go speak to people and hear the folks, whatever their issues might be. That's what we're taking this time to do," said Paschal.

"We had the approvals here, but we're not going to have a bulldozer here or something if we don't have what we think is a proper development."

Paschal said the corporation is willing to take 10 to 15 years to get the development of the property right.

For people who are already using the property as a park, the only right development is no development at all.

"I think there's probably enough residential land vacant around Charlottetown," said Des Lecky, who walks his dog on the old farm property three times a day.

"I think if you look back in 50 years you'll really regret it if you develop it at this point in time. There's no more land, so this is a prime piece of real estate that should be kept for future generations."

The Canadian Urban Institute said it will return to Charlottetown for more consultations.