Cowan Heights plan hearing set for Nov. 4 in St. John’s

The City of St. John’s will hold a public hearing on the Cowan Heights Neighbourhood Plan amendments at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at City Hall.

The hearing takes place in the Foran/Greene Room on the fourth floor of City Hall. Residents can also attend online by Zoom, but registration is required. The city said registration is available through the project page under “Important Links” by choosing “Register for Virtual Public Hearing.”

Council adopted St. John’s Municipal Plan Amendment No. 20, 2026, and Development Regulations Amendment No. 61, 2026, on Oct. 20. They re-designate and rezone land inside the Cowan Heights neighbourhood boundary to match the vision and goals of the neighbourhood plan, and include text changes to the Municipal Plan and Development Regulations. Council had adopted the plan amendments in principle in June, and a hearing on the University Area plan is set for Nov. 18.

Written comments must include the sender’s name and address and reach the Office of the City Clerk by 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 2, by email at [email protected] or by mail at P.O. Box 908, St. John’s, NL A1C 5M2. Comments become public record and appear in the council agenda, but identifying information, including names, is removed before release. A group that wants to stay anonymous must say so in its submission.

People can also speak at the hearing in person or online, and those comments go into the commissioner’s report to council. Marie Ryan has been appointed commissioner. The city said the hearing may be cancelled if no written objections are received.

Copies of the amendments can be viewed at the Planning and Development Division on the fourth floor of the John J. Murphy building (City Hall Annex), weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Questions can go to 709-576-6192 or [email protected].

Council made the amendments official as part of a busy meeting that also approved 147 new homes, as we reported. See also the final stretch of the Team Gushue Highway.

Source: City of St. John’s, Public Hearing: Cowan Heights Neighbourhood Plan, and City Council Meeting Recap: October 20, 2026.

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