Updated:
On August 4, 2021 the North West Planning Advisory Committee recommended against zoning changes in the study area. The next step is for staff to prepare a report for the North West Community Council.
Proposal
This process will consider mid-rise, multi-unit buildings on Dartmouth Road. The study area will also include some properties on Wardour Street. There are two proposals in the study area.
Shelley Dickey Land Use Planning, on behalf of the Stevens Group, is proposing a four storey residential building on Dartmouth Road, between Wardour Street and Stone Terrace. View the site in Google Maps.
The major aspects of this proposal are as follows:
• 4 storeys with 2-storey sections at both ends of the building
• 48 residential units
• Main driveway off Wardour Street for 47 underground parking spaces
• Secondary driveway off Stone Terrace for 9 surface parking spaces
The applicant’s letter provides drawings and more details about this building.
Zzap Consulting Inc., on behalf of Bedford Holdings Ltd., is proposing to develop a surface parking lot on Wardour Street behind the Wardour Centre. The proposal is to construct a five storey residential and commercial building. View the site in Google Maps.
The major aspects of this proposal are:
• 5 storey building, with upper stories set back
• About 6,300 square feet of ground level commercial space
• 51 residential units above the commercial space
• Adding a new driveway on Wardour Street
• 52 underground parking spaces and 24 surface parking spaces
The applicant’s letter has more information. Building drawings and plans are here.
Process
The applications will be considered under the process to amend a Municipal Planning Strategy. The next step in the process is for the North West Planning Advisory Committee to discuss the project and provide recommendations.
The following planning documents will guide Regional Council and municipal Planning staff as they review policy in the study area:
• Bedford Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) e.g. the land use policy
• Bedford Land Use By-law e.g. the Zoning By-law
• Regional Plan
• Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP)
Status
Next Steps:
Municipal planning staff will submit a staff report to North West Community Council, for their consideration. Community Council will make a recommendation to Regional Council, who will make a final decision on any changes to planning policy in the study area. Regional Council must hold a public hearing before making any decisions. No dates have been set for Community Council or Regional Council meetings.
North West Planning Advisory Committee: August 4, 2021
At their regular meeting on August 4, 2021, the North West Planning Advisory Committee considered the proposal. View meeting minutes. The Committee passed the following motion:
North West Planning Advisory Committee has reviewed the proposals for case 22267 and recommends rejection of the proposals to change the zoning in the study area, with the exception of the Fort Sackville School property due to the lack of infrastructure to support the proposed density, the incompatibility with the existing neighborhood character and that the study area is not fully considerate of the whole area.
Public Information Meetings: May 2021
Three Public Information Meetings were held virtually via Zoom. A live broadcast on YouTube was also available. View the recordings:
• Wednesday, May 26, 2021
• Thursday, May 27, 2021
• Monday, May 31, 2021
Public Engagement and Survey
A survey on Case 22267, was sent to nearby residents in early October 2020. Through April 2021, municipal staff received over 100 surveys, a response rate of almost 40%. This response rate is much higher than surveys for other planning projects. View the survey results. In summary, the survey indicated strong opposition to the new development, especially to the new apartment buildings. Complied surveys (full comment with personal information removed) can be viewed below. Please note: some of these are large files so they have been broken up for easier viewing:
- Complied Surveys
- Survey
A public meeting scheduled for Monday, March 23, 2020 was postponed due to COVID19 protocols.
On November 12, 2019 Regional Council directed staff to begin this planning process. View the staff report.
Contact Information
For further information, please contact:
Mailing Address
HRM Planning Applications
PO Box: 1749,
Halifax,
Nova Scotia,
B3J 3A5
Attention: Ben Sivak