The controversial refurbishment of a wharf in Saint Andrews will not go ahead as planned, after council voted to cancel the tender for the project.

The decision came after all bids on the project were millions of dollars over the town’s budget.

“Due to all of the associated costs and construction costs, it brought it up way over budget from what we could approve,” said Kate Akagi, the acting Saint Andrews mayor.

The project would have seen Market Wharf, which is long overdue for repairs, infilled with rock and steel.

• Saint Andrews property owners speak out against wharf refurbishment plan

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The town received $5.4 million in federal and provincial funding for the refurbishment and planned to cover the remaining cost of what it estimated would be a $7 million project.

The tender closed on Sept. 10 with these six bids:

• Caldwell and Ross Ltd. for $9.4 million

• Dexter Construction Company for $12.1 million

• Graystone Infrastructure Inc. for $12.2 million

• Fundy Contractors Ltd. for $13.4 million

• Greenfield Construction for $13.5 million

• Valley Structures Ltd. for $17 million

Akagi said the town will now look to have another assessment of wharf conditions done by the end of the year. She said the last assessment was done about five years ago.

She said the town will also need to seek more funding from the government, and “we have to ask for a change of scope for funding as it’s different from what we put in for.”

Akagi said she hopes to see the community become more involved with ideas about the refurbishment project, “since they didn’t like what was done.”

Cindy Kohler, who lives a few coastal properties away from the wharf, was one of many residents who expressed concerns that the project could cause erosion and sediment damage along the shoreline and would take away from the historic charm of the area and original wooden wharf.

She said she felt the need to “get loud” when this project was brought to council in May, because she had previously experienced the repercussions of another infill project.

“There’s more pushback of water coming through than ever before, a lot of debris getting settled there, seaweed stays on the rocks there, and it just looks very messy,” she said.

Kohler said no environmental impact assessment was done for the project, so it was difficult to understand the scope of damage, if any, it would cause.

She hopes to see a committee of community members come together to help decide how this refurbishment will move ahead.

Matt Abbott, Fundy baykeeper with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, said he wasn’t surprised to this project fell through because the cost of infrastructure has changed significantly since the project was proposed seven years ago.

“With a decision like this, you have to be prudent, and I think they made a wise decision in that regard,” Abbott said.

He said this decision was also a testament to how “tricky” these kinds of projects can be.

Abbott hopes the approach now will be to figure out a vision for what the community needs and wants from the Market Square and wharf area and then make necessary efforts to ensure limited harm to nearby properties and the environment.