PLANAPP 2023-00656 - 400 Sackville Drive, Lower Sackville

Request

Fathom Studio is applying to enter into a development agreement to allow a mixed-use development at 400 Sackville Drive, Lower Sackville.

Separate from the planning application request, a housekeeping amendment to the Sackville Drive Land Use By-law is proposed to correct an unintended inconsistency arising from amendments adopted in December 2025. Those amendments, which aligned HRM planning documents with provincial requirements by expressing building height in storeys rather than metres or feet, inadvertently limited multiple unit dwellings to a maximum of four storeys. This conflicts with the existing permitted height of 50 feet (approximately five storeys). The proposed amendment resolves this discrepancy by increasing the maximum height to five storeys, restoring alignment with the original intent of the by-law.

Proposal

View the site in Google Maps

The applicant wishes to build a mixed-use development made up of two buildings connected by an underground parking garage. The major aspects of the proposal are as follows:

• One building that is 32.6 metres tall from Sackville Drive, with approx. 600 square metres of ground floor commercial space;
• One building that is 38.7 metres tall from Sackville Drive, with approx. 400 square metres of ground floor commercial space;
• A maximum of 215 units total on the lands;
• 2-level underground parking podium connecting the two buildings above;
• Shared open space on top of the underground parking garage for residents and visitors. 

The Development Plans (provided below) outline the development proposal in detail, and include information related to proposed buildings, amenity spaces, parking locations, driveway access, and landscaping.

Process

The application will be considered under the Development Agreement Process.

Status

A public hearing will be held by North West Community Council on September 14 at 6:00 p.m. at Halifax City Hall (Council Chamber), 1841 Argyle Street, Halifax, NS to consider and a decision on this application.

View the staff report. If you have questions about how to access the staff report you can email or call 902.490.4210 the Office of the Municipal Clerk. If the internet is unavailable to you, a paper copy of application materials can be sent to you by mail, contact the Planner, Megan Backos, to make the arrangements.

All oral and written submissions will be considered at that time. Written submissions are welcomed and encouraged in advance of the hearing itself. These submissions are distributed to all Councillors and considered at the time of their decision. Written submissions may be forwarded to the Municipal Clerk by e-mail; by fax, 902-490-4208; or by mail, P.O. Box 1749, Halifax, NS, B3J 3A5. Written submissions must be received by the Municipal Clerk’s Office as early as possible and not later than 3:00 p.m. on September 14, 2026. Please allow sufficient time for delivery. 

If you have questions about the public hearing process, please email or call 902.490.4210 the Office of the Municipal Clerk. Should you have questions about the nature of the application itself, please email (backosm@halifax.ca) or call the planner directly at 902.478.9725

Enhanced security processes to access City Hall, including security screening with X-ray and metal detection, as well as sign-in with government-issued photo ID, are in place. Please allow for ample time to complete these processes before your meeting start time. Learn more by visiting halifax.ca/visitingcityhall. 

Information on how to sign up to speak in advance is available on-line: https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/regional-council/public-hearings. If you’d like, you can let us know how to say your name using simple, sound-it-out spelling. (For example: for Leila Nahirah say “Lay-ah Nah-HEE-rah”).  

This notice was posted to this site on September 14, 2026, in accordance with the requirements of the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter. 

Public engagement for this application was completed on September 11, 2024 and you can find a summary of the engagement here. 

Documents Submitted for Evaluation

The applicant has submitted plans and studies required by HRM staff to properly evaluate the application. The documents are also available for review at the Planning Applications office at 5251 Duke St, 3rd Floor, Suite 300, Duke Tower, Halifax.

May 2026

Site Plan
Preliminary Landscaping Plan 
Building Elevations
Phasing Plan

February 2026

Site Plan - superseded
Preliminary Landscaping Plan - superseded
Floodplain Map

December 2025
Traffic Impact Study Supplementary Letter

November 2024
Revised Planning Rationale and Response to Reviewer Comments
Revised Site Plan and Biliding Elevations - superseded
Revised Building Renderings
Wind Impact Study

December 2023
Grading Plan
Preliminary Landscaping Plan - superseded
Revised Servicing Schematic 
Revised Building Floorplans and Elevations Drawings - superseded
Revised Traffic Impact Study

May 2023
Application Letter
Site Plan - superseded
Traffic Impact Study –  superseded
Servicing Schematic – superseded 
Building Renderings - superseded
Building Floorplans and Elevations – superseded
Existing Conditions Survey