Member Wendy McDonald is sharing the links to two surveys regarding development proposals that are currently in the works.
All feed back is encouraged, even if you do not live in HRM. The concern for the development, #2, would be negatively impacted for the creation of the Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes National Urban Park serving residents and visitors. Botanically speaking, there are many interesting finds here including mountain sandwort.
Partners are at the Planning stage with Parks Canada. The development proposals suggest 18,000 units, or 45,000 people living in the wooded green space between Kearney Lake Rd and Lacewood Drive, already a traffic challenge! It would impact wildlife corridors, water quality here an downstream, biodiversity and more.
To have input on these two planned developments, please complete the below surveys. The Sandy Lake survey is open until December 3, today, and the Highway 102 survey is open until December 10.
1. SANDY LAKE
https://engagehalifax.ca/
2. HIGHWAY 102 West Corridor SPECIAL PLANNING AREA
https://engagehalifax.ca/
A Special Planning Area is different in that Halifax Regional Council does not participate in development approvals in Special Planning Areas. However, Municipal staff will conduct the review process and prepare planning policies and infrastructure upgrade recommendations as they typically would. All municipal policies and regulations and provincial laws will need to be met. Regional Council may consider cost recovery programs for infrastructure investments.
The provincial housing team will be making a recommendation on these and other SPAs so let your MLA and Councillors know how you feel that housing could be built in serviced areas, not green space!
If you have questions, check out our website .. bluemountainfriends.ca or contact me.
Thank you for your interest, every voice matters, share with friends and family.
Wendy McDonald, Board member, bluemountainfriends.ca wendyathome27@gmail.com
PS SPA #1, Sandy Lake is adjacent to an HRM Park, with beach and scheduled swimming lessons and programming. The addition of 8000 units in a green space would change water quality, currently home to salmon and trout. Adjacent to the Hammonds Plains Rd, a traffic bottleneck, this would only add challenges. Survey deadline Dec 3.
