Alternatives for Growth

Public Comments on 

~ Settlement Patterns~

Mount Saint Vincent University - May 15, 2004

• Much of 50 -100 thousand people would fit on peninsula.
  

Cole Harbour Place - May 19, 2004

• Will you allow for general zoning in Lawrencetown? And will you allow for subdivisions?
• How can you put centres in land that is not owned by HRM? (either crown or private)
• How can you be sure people will live in a rural centre?
• Any opportunity for Sheet Harbour to grow?
• Concerned with reliance on large urban centres.
• Large urban centres do not necessarily have a healthier lifestyle.
• Concerned with having an alternative lifestyle other than the ones being proposed (pushing everyone on the peninsula).
• Worried rural residential areas may be submerged, and what stops a developer from knocking things down and building a shopping centre!
• We're being forced to buy more because were all spreading out.
• Fear that you're shutting us down from Lawrencetown to Sheet Harbour.
• Families sub-divide land to give to children, and can only be built on private roads.
• We don't want to live in an urban centre, but were scared people will be thrown into these urban centres.
• Have to make sure people want to live in these proposed places.
• Models in alternatives need to go across, instead of focussing on a major centre.
• Concerned over public housing in Shannon Park (ghetto like), attractive housing may disperse population.
• I am in total agreement with limiting development in outside metro areas!
• Stop urban growth why?
• Land consumption chart driven by on-site septic regulations
• Population to rural - naturally (lower taxes, less restrictions, better quality of life)
• Urban offers cramped conditions and undesirable environment for family setting (i.e. gangs, crack houses, etc..)
• Patterns & Costs: Well illustrated
• Any way to control type of house built? Like "no garage door bigger than". The garage with attached house. Ontario has real problems with this
• What about an environment to raise the children of the future and the quality of life? (Family living, seniors active lifestyle, do not want to be segregated - like to have affordable choices)
• Municipal services (water/sewer) bring increased population density - not the best alternative in all communities. Lower population density is preferred in fragile environments
• Remember - we need people living on the harbour side
• Star site good place for condos, not lakes
• We need the condo tax base!
• Please protect Prospect High Head from development
• No more lake lot development, can't we all share them? Develop   community recreation areas so we can all retreat to these beautiful areas
• Does all this mean the family land grant is now going to be worth nothing unless it happens to fall in a favourable zoned area?

Michael Wallace Elementary School, Dartmouth - May 20, 2004

• If Alternative A is chosen, what kind of development would occur in Port Wallace? Major centre?
  
• Municipalities will require more control over its destiny.
• Shannon Park labelled as a possibility for development.

St. Margaret's Centre, Upper Tantallon - May 26, 2004

• With this clustering displayed in the alternatives, will we get higher density uses?
• Who maintains a clustered septic system?
• I'd like to get a view of what our community will look like when most of the land is privately owned and when you can't control the corridor between these nodes? You could have a string of 711's along these routes and how is there a disincentive not to develop these areas?
• Are you assuming that new growth areas are high density?
• How can Tantallon ever opt for Alternative C when there are already services such as a library and shopping centre in place?
• Alternative A may restrict development outside the regional centre, but C will allow all development permits to be approved throughout HRM.
• Don't want density any higher than one residence per acre. With a shared septic, residents won't care what they flush down the toilet or taking other general precautions
• To create these new hubs, how do you anticipate encouraging the present land owners to create denser development on their land?
• Bedford subdivisions are poorly planned /not at all. Developers do what they wish - no park, green areas, covenants not enforced. Why?
• In past 5 years, 6 new homes have been built in Hubbards. But 7 have burnt down. I don't know what the concern about growth is in the Hubbards area. This moratorium is a farce!!
• Ultimate plan must not include the rural commuters, despite the current disfavour for this type of growth. Must service what is in place.

Brookside Junior High School, Hatchett Lake - May 31, 2004

• Is there another area in HRM with the same density as Prospect?
• What is a clustered septic system?
• Where are there other examples of clustered septic systems?
• Is there also a common well for these clustered houses?
• How would development be different now from when the regional plan is in place?
• Will the money only go to the places that are most congested? Because I don't want to be left out!
• If Alternative C doesn't go through, is there still a way we can get development on our road?
• Could there be a plan where our community would have a doctors office, grocery store, gas station etc. in our centre?
• Is there value in clustering housing?
• Developers shouldn't develop if there is no water supply available
• Don't let the rural areas be sterile bedroom communities

Four Harbours Legion, East Ship Harbour - June 2, 2004

• Is this another case of 3 years down the road we won't be able to sub-divide our land for our sons and daughters?
• With an aging population in rural areas, have you looked at shifting demographics in HRM?
• Do you think creating new hubs (Musquodoboit Harbour, Sheet Harbour) will deplete other areas, with excess resources supporting these new hubs?
• What about the septic requirements for smaller lot owners who wish to sub-divide? Will the septic requirements be the same for everyone?
• Will HRM be changing Planning Acts/MPS's so septic systems can be used in areas where they are not permitted now?
• Is this the farthest east you will be having an open house?
• Don't take our rights of sub-dividing land for future generations away from us
• Please don't cut us off completely
• Eastern Shore is aging and our children are preferring more urban areas
• Rural communities in Canada will be facing a huge challenge and we don't have the political power to oppose this
• Don't think the rural population will be sustained due to low birth rates, high unemployment and an aging population
• Good to see you're planning for the next 25 years
• There is a major distinction between what happens in Halifax and what happens in rural areas, and we need to keep this distinction

Lake Echo Community Centre, Lake Echo - June 3, 2004

• I have a problem with grandfathering of existing properties. How will the regional plan deal with the issue?
• So subdivisions will be permitted between centres?
• What does DOE think about clustered septic systems? are they receptive?
• If the rural centres were serviced, where would the sewage go?
• Will water and sewer be offered to East Preston or Cherry Brook?
• A lot of people like the large lot (1 acre +), but developers would like the option of doing a mixed form of development
• Must provide balance
• North Preston has transit and services, and should not be used as an example of a community hub
• Everything goes to core
• If more restrictions were put in place (If you make it to expensive to develop in the rural commuter shed), growth will go to Enfield (East Hants) and HRM will lose the tax dollars
• Main problem with groundwater is quantity (with dug wells) which dry up
• Need to allow for "reasonable" growth in the rural commuter shed
• Province has not endorsed clustered septics
• Need to look at costs of development. If you make it too restrictive, will make it infeasible to develop, especially for the "little guy"
• Don't want to be 8' away from the neighbours house
• Land prices are rising steeply but people still want to live here
• If we don't improve the service, people will not move out here
• Rural lifestyles competing with urban lifestyles (new residents)
• Traditional uses vs. strictly residential
• We do not want growth to the same extent as Fall River or St. Margaret's Bay
• It was stated in the presentation that Porter's Lake and Lake Echo for example, may or may not be serviced by water and sewer
• Cherry Brook has water but no sewer because of the capacity in Eastern Passage for a sewage treatment plant.

Sackville High School, Lower Sackville - June 7, 2004

• How will you implement these proposals when infrastructure is already in place? (i.e. Sackville is here, Burnside is here, you can't just demolish a community)
• How do you buy private land and then develop it the way you envision it to look?
• Beaver Bank was rural when I grew up, but its not anymore. The zoning doesn't allow us to do what we have historically done in Beaver Bank, and I don't want to work in Halifax.
• If you put services in Hubbards, you'll end up getting development on the Aspotogan because it's the only land available for development in Chester District.
• There are economic advantages to owning large lots of land (i.e. room for swimming pool, space for children to play). I would like to make sure this is not eliminated
• $50,000 lot service charges!
• Developer pays costs, not the taxpayer!
• Move Burnside - property too important for business, should be housing!
• More high density, more green space!
• Continue development in areas surrounding Sackville
• The market prefers 1 - 2 acre lots
• The Solution is to expand service boundary, and create a variety of neighbourhoods
• By-right development must be stopped. Only Development Agreements

Basinview Drive Community School, Bedford - June 9, 2004

• Why is infilling still allowed to continue?
• There are real communities which will be impacted more than 3 ways, have you thought about the consequences of the 3 alternatives in certain places?
• I would like to see more residential density on the peninsula, and you are discouraging it
• Should let developers know that they are buying land at their own risk, we should decide how it is developed
• I am confused, my concern is that communities have already been developed. They already have their own services, but transportation still has to be addressed
• Maybe a high density peninsula is the answer to congestion and people commuting to downtown
• Alternative to high density in downtown is suburban sprawl

Eastern Shore District High School, Musquodoboit Harbour - June 10, 2004

• There is substandard housing. Are they going to be taxed out so that the land can be acquired? What about the land between the centres?
• What sort of density is needed for water and sewer?
• What would the price of land be where there is water and sewer services?
• What happens to the people who cannot afford the price of the land available?
• Will the services help shape this growth? When?
• We want large lots, not small lots like the city.
• Between the centres, some have large areas of land and want to build.
• Any kind of septic can be approved.
• Mix use along the highway but not on individual sites which is what we should encourage and have incentives and regulations for.
• I am concerned about development like Kingswood. Where you do not know your neighbour. I want development that encourages community. We also need to respect the existing communities.
• People moving out from the city and expecting city lifestyle. It causes a conflict in the community. (Ex. East Petpeswick...prevents access to the shore line).
• Taxes are going up because people are building bigger houses and therefore the taxes increase.
• Grand Desert should be a neighbourhood village.
• The displays show that certain services are provided which is good, (i.e.. infrastructure, transit, water).
• We need a mix of housing types (i.e. for young couples, seniors etc).

Musquodoboit Valley Bicentennial Theatre, Middle Musquodoboit - June 16, 2004

• What do you mean by existing services/infrastructure with respect to the identification of growth centres?
• What type of growth would there be in HRM and where will these people work and live?
• What is the purpose of Interim Growth Management?
• Was this IGM a consequence of poor planning?
• Are you trying to maintain this Interim Growth Management until the regional plan is in place?
• Would your concern be people subdividing land into 2,000 lots?
• Hubs have development rights
• Tantallon is a good example of a growth centre
• Some communities have been trying to get services for years, but haven't got them, and maybe some communities are not a hub for this reason

Halifax City Hall - June 17, 2004

• Affordable housing! Need for new fixed income housing!
• Are you going to provide areas of low density - enough to protect those chemically sensitive from dryer units expelling perfumed fabric softeners?
• Emphasis on affordable housing; housing co-op's grow homes
• Density and pedestrian friendly housing development
• Could we look at neo-traditional neighbourhoods? (Patterns F & G) No maze like suburbs please!

St. Agnes Church, Halifax - June 21, 2004

• Would you think of incentives for businesses or residents to locate in growth areas?
• Is this neighbourhood part of the regional centre or part of a neighbourhood centre?
• How would Bedford South and Bedford West develop as new major centres? And how would you do this within the existing regulatory framework?
• How do you get around the marketplace and their demands?
• Are there scenarios where there would be less services in the core than there is now?
• Local form is very much aesthetic, but how can we make sure all communities retain their heritage and idiosyncrasy?
• Density on the peninsula is already adequate
• Concerns me if you change zoning on the peninsula to allow for higher densities
• The peninsula is expensive because it is such a nice place to live. Higher density will kill it and you need to think about this issue
• High density often brings up the idea of high rise buildings, but there are many alternatives
• There is also a tendency to over design communities
• Look towards density bonusing
• Why is suburbia an asphalt laden wasteland? It should look like the sketches here
• Nope, new high rise looks awful. Go as high as you want if views already gone, = density, = walking
• Convenient/ affordable condo options for small business section key to economic growth
• Protect existing neighbourhoods from traffic
• Public responsibility too, live near where you work
• More density please! (Better for transportation, pedestrian flows, attract local business)
• Encourage brown land reclamation and revitalization of north end instead of sprawl
• Subtract un-developable land from statistics (x % of what?)
• Legislate amount of land for single family dwellings
• Rural mid-density? clusters?
• Make Spryfield a centre for area. There is vacant/abandoned lots aplenty
• Increase density along Herring Cove Road above business
• Large apartments and condos should incorporate parks/playgrounds within walking distance
• Revisit Spryfield and give those apartments more access to green space and create outdoor rinks and/or skateboard parks
• In city, high density but low rise, lessons from Hyrostones should be remembered. Halifax has regressed since this innovative planned community which diverted traffic but enabled high density housing
• Ensure mixed dwellings (i.e. seniors only complexes) (NO)
• We need more detached housing on the peninsula in abandoned commercial and industrial sites. Developers want to increase density in south end and do not have vision to add population in more challenging areas like north end Halifax