PLANAPP 2025-02245 - 2445 Brunswick Street, Halifax - Community Services

Request

Application from FBM Architecture Ltd on behalf of the North End Community Health Centre requesting to amend the Regional Centre Land Use By-law to better support the development and operation of Community Health Centres in the Regional Centre.

Proposal

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The applicant is requesting to create a new use definition for Community Health Centres in the Regional Centre Land Use By-law and to exempt this use from minimum parking requirements.

The major aspects of the proposal are as follows:

• This by-law amendment request is related to a Development Permit application submitted by the North End Community Health Centre for a six-storey mixed use development at 2445 Brunswick Street, zoned Higher-order Residential 1 (HR-1).
• The applicant has classified the proposed use of the building as a medical clinic with the upper two floors containing office space for additional community services. However, these accessory uses fall outside of the scope of the Medical Clinic definition in the Regional Centre Land Use By-Law.
• The applicant has requested to create a new definition that better captures the full range of programming provided by Community Health Centres, and to permit this new use in the HR-1 and HR-2 zones. The applicant also requested to exclude Community Health Centres from minimum parking requirements in the HR zones as this requirement may present a financial barrier for not-for-profit organizations, and many of the community members accessing these services primarily use active transportation or transit.

To address the applicant’s request and to enable even greater flexibility for not-for-profit organizations providing similar services, staff are considering the following changes to the Regional Centre Land Use By-Law:

• Adding a Community Services Use definition that allows for premises owned or operated by not-for-profits to provide a range of health care, affordable housing, and/or social services on site, including accessory uses related to those services such as an office use, shelter use, shared housing use or personal service use;
• Categorizing the Community Services Use as an Institutional Use and permitting it in the following zones: DD, DH, CEN-2, CEN-1, COR, HR-2, HR-1, INS, and H; and
• Not requiring minimum parking spaces for the Community Services Use to support the needs of these not-for-profit organizations.

The applicant’s submission documents (provided below) outline the requested changes, and include information related to the project rationale and the proposed development.

Process

The application will be considered under the Land Use By-Law amendment process. 

Status

This application is currently in the Public Engagement phase. Public feedback is welcome by contacting the staff below. Comments are requested by November 7, 2025 to the planner. 

Documents Submitted for Evaluation

The applicant has submitted documents required by HRM staff to properly evaluate the application. The documents are also available for review at the Planning Applications office at 5251 Duke Street, Halifax, Suite 300.

September, 2025

A - Rationale Letter

B - Site Plans, Floor Plans and Building Elevations