Wellington Street (Case 20774) In July, regional council voted to let a bunch of developments go ahead despite the looming Centre Plan. This is one of the more controversial projects, an application by Lydon Lynch Architects, on behalf of owner BANC Developments, for an eight-storey structure on Wellington Street in Halifax’s south end. The development […]
Planning
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Dear Halifax developers: be more creative
Halifax Regional Council has recently approved a slew of developments within the downtown, south end and Quinpool areas of the city. All the developments are either high rises or exceed previously stated limitations on height in the city. The 8-storey development on Wellington Street exceeds the 6-story height limit despite the local outcry. The most […]
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Halifax and West Community Council moving quickly on new builds
A s the Centre Plan looms in the somewhat near future, the city is moving quickly to get development applications caught in its crossfire settled before the big changes come about. Halifax and West Community Council voted one of those developments, a 19-storey building at 2859 Robie Street, between Bilby and Macara Streets, through to […]
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Doing less means more for city streets
Transport diversity? Just cram more into our streets! Add a transit priority route, cycle lanes, more space for pedestrians. But we’ll need to keep everyone happy by maintaining plenty of room for traffic—including those precious dedicated turning lanes—and oodles of on-street parking fit for a fleet of Yukon XLs. All of this and more for […]
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HRM’s bylaw review crawls along
Let’s talk about the exciting world of bylaw simplification! Right now, there are a couple dozen planning strategies and land-use bylaws on the books in HRM, along with a plethora of other outdated bylaws and regulations, many of which pre-date amalgamation. It’s a patchwork of civic governance, amended piecemeal over the past 20 years—if amended […]
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Bilby Street’s unaffordable future
When Jennifer Beamer moved to Bilby Street in 2003 it didn’t really feel like a neighbourhood. “Frankly, it was a neighbourhood I could afford to buy a house in,” she says. But even in 2003, the short stretch of single-family homes was changing. Over the years the surrounding area has developed into the trendy north-end […]
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Halifax tackles funding options for $200-million CFL stadium
Maritime Football Limited wants to buy 20 acres of land at Shannon Park for a $200-million football stadium—but first the province and the municipality have to agree to help pay for it. A staff report on the much-anticipated stadium proposal coming to city council on Tuesday recommends that HRM completes a “thorough business case analysis” […]
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UPDATE: No affordable housing for new Cogswell district?
Halifax spokesperson Nick Ritcey responds to this article in an email to The Coast, saying the final decision on affordable housing has not yet been made: “The implication that affordable housing will not be included within the Cogswell district is incorrect. Decisions about affordable housing in this area have not been made. “In July, Regional […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: We must heed storm warnings to build a brighter future
In 2012, North Carolina’s Coastal Resources Commission warned that sea levels there could rise by a metre over the next century. The warning was based in part on U.S. Geological Survey findings that “sea level rise along the portion of the East Coast between North Carolina and Massachusetts is accelerating at three to four times […]
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Planner’s exit could impact Centre Plan
Mayor Mike Savage isn’t sure what sort of impact Jacob Ritchie’s departure from city hall will have on the long-delayed Centre Plan. The urban planner has been shepherding the new planning bible through a slow, often delayed approval process for the past few years. But this week he’ll be leaving city hall behind to head […]
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Auditor general says HRM’s planning department too slow, inefficient
Halifax’s Planning and Development lacks clear policy guidelines and consistently fails to meet Charter-mandated timelines for processing new building applications. That’s the conclusion from a new report by HRM’s Office of the Auditor General that was presented Wednesday to council’s audit and finance committee. Among other issues, the OAG says Halifax’s planning staff have no […]
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Fury road on Oceanview Drive
It’s gotten to the point where Josh Hagle can’t watch TV with a window open, without having the sounds drowned out by cars whizzing by. Hagle and his family moved to Oceanview Drive in Bedford, just off Larry Uteck Boulevard in 2011. The residential street had a fair amount of traffic but, at the time, […]