Case 23224 - Former Penhorn Mall Lands (549 to 569 Portland Street), Dartmouth

Request

Clayton Developments Limited and Crombie REIT are requesting to enter into a development agreement to allow a mixed-use community on the former Penhorn Mall Lands on Portland Street, Dartmouth.

Proposal

The properties are designated Future Growth Node (FGN) and zoned Comprehensive Development District (CDD) under the new Regional Centre Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy (SMPS) and Land Use By-law (LUB), also known as the Centre Plan. 

Future growth nodes are lands where there is potential to accommodate significant growth due to the site’s size, location, and proximity to services. These parcels of land are intended to be comprehensively planned to ensure they meet the objectives of the Centre Plan. 

This proposal is being considered under enabling Policies F-6 and F-9 of the Regional Centre SMPS.

The major aspects of the proposal include:
-    9 new development blocks 
-    Approximately 860 apartment building units and 45 townhouse units
-    An active transportation network with a trail next to the Circumferential Highway connecting Penhorn Lake to Portland Street
-    A multi-use greenway through the site connecting Penhorn Lake and Brownlow Park
-    A central public park approximately 2,636 square meters in size
-    Ground floor commercial spaces located in Blocks A and B
-    New streets and municipal services
-    Additional park space and a new surface parking lot for users of Brownlow Park

The development agreement will identify the location of the roads, parks, and new lots and provide provisions for the subdivision of the land.  The agreement will also identify zones for each of the new lots, building heights, specific built form and land use requirements and the phasing for the development.  

The Development Plans (provided below) outline the development proposal in detail.

Process

The application will be considered under the Development Agreement process.

Status

On March 25, 2022, the Provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing John Lohr, designated the former Penhorn Mall lands as a Special Planning Area. The designation allows the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to assume authority for development approvals for this site. This application will be considered for a decision on the development agreement by the Provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and not Harbour East - Marine Drive Community Council. As such, there will be no public hearing for this application. View more information on the Provincial Special Planning Areas and the Provincial Executive Panel on Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The public engagement period for the application has concluded. View a summary of engagement for this application. 

The application is under final review by municipal staff and external review agencies. A Development Agreement is being drafted and will be submitted to the Provincial Executive Panel on Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality for consideration and decision.
 

Documents Submitted for Evaluation

The applicant has submitted plans and studies required by municipal staff to properly evaluate the application. The relevant documents are linked below but may also be alternatively provided either by email or regular mail by making this request to the planner list below.

Application
Concept Plan - REVISED
Landscape Plan - REVISED
Parks and Open Space Plan - REVISED
Active Transportation Plan - REVISED
Shadow Study - REVISED
Stormwater Management Plan - REVISED
Street Network Plan - REVISED
Traffic Impact Study
Servicing Plan
Preliminary Subdivision - NEW
Built Form Detail - NEW
Traffic Calming - NEW
Planning Rationale - NEW
Zoning - NEW
Land Use Plan - NEW
Phasing Plan - NEW