Updated:
The public consultation stage has now ended. Please see the Status section for more information.
Request
Application by Upland Studio requesting substantive amendments to an existing development agreement for lands at 70-80 First Lake Drive, Lower Sackville, to allow for two 6-storey residential buildings on a shared podium and a new drive-through commercial building.
Proposal
In 2011, North West Community Council approved a development agreement to permit the establishment of new commercial uses in excess of the maximum permitted size in the community commercial zone on the subject property, pursuant to Policies CC-3 and IM-13 of Sackville Municipal Planning Strategy. The agreement was amended in 2016 to allow for liquor sales on site.
The existing development agreement sets requirements related to the permitted land uses, sitting and architectural requirements of the building, landscaping, parking, circulation, and access. It currently permits a maximum building height of 10.7m (35feet) and 25% maximum lot coverage.
The applicant wishes to re-develop the property by removing a commercial building on the site and adding two 6-storey multiple unit dwellings on a shared podium and a new drive-through commercial building. Policy CC-6 of the Municipal Planning Strategy for Sackville enabled multiple unit dwellings to be considered by Council through a development agreement process.
The proposed development includes the following:
- Sobeys grocery, Staples building, and Tim Horton’s are to remain on-site unchanged.
- The demolition of the commercial space at the rear of the Sobeys.
- Two 6-storey residential multiple unit buildings on a shared podium, containing approx. 154 units.
- A new drive-through commercial building.
- A network of pedestrian walkways through the site.
The development plans provided below outline the development proposal in detail, and include information related to driveway access, parking locations, pedestrian and vehicular circulation, building massing and elevations, landscaping and other design details.
The applicant previously proposed to re-develop the property by adding three (3) multiple unit dwellings ranging in height from 6 to 22 storeys, with ground floor commercial and office space. However, the enabling policies of the Sackville Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy do not contemplate such an increase in density and a development of this size. The application has been revised to include only the two 6-storey multiple unit dwellings on a shared podium and a new drive-through commercial building.
The property owner has requested the remainder of the site be re-examined via the comprehensive planning process known as the Suburban Plan. The Suburban Plan will be a new planning document that will guide change and development in suburban communities (areas with piped water and sewer outside the Regional Centre). For more information on the Suburban Plan and it’s planning process, please visit the Regional Plan Review website: https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/regional-plan.
Process
The application will be considered under the Substantive Amendments to a Development Agreement process.
Status
The public consultation stage has ended. Thank you to those that provided comments, completed the on-line survey, and attend the public information meetings. The survey response report can be found here. Minutes from the November 1st meeting can be found here and the November 2nd meeting here. A PDF of staff’s presentation provided at the town hall meeting can be found here and the applicant’s presentation can be found here.
Staff are now conducting a detailed review of the proposal with all information received through public consultation. Further negotiations will take place between the applicant and HRM staff as they continue their analysis of the proposal prior to sending a recommendation report to Community Council.
The Shape Your City page will remain up until a decision is made by Community Council.
Documents Submitted for Evaluation
The applicant has submitted plans and studies required by HRM staff to properly evaluate the application. The relevant documents are linked below but may also be provided via email or regular mail by making a request to the planner listed below:
Contact Information
For further information, please contact:
Mailing Address
HRM Planning Applications
PO Box: 1749,
Halifax,
Nova Scotia,
B3J 3A5
Attention: Dean MacDougall (Please identify the Case #24508 and address)