Committee greenlights project
Posted by lesmuise on April 22, 2008
But Brewery Market decision deferred
By SHERRI BORDEN COLLEY Staff Reporter
Tue. Apr 22 - 5:13 AM
A 19-storey residential building slated for the corner of Brenton and South Park streets in Halifax inched one step closer to getting approval Monday night.
During a meeting at city hall, the downtown Halifax advisory committee — despite strong opposition from one member — recommended the W.M. Fares Group project go ahead.
The committee assists council by reviewing projects to ensure they fit the downtown planning strategy.
Cesar Saleh, an engineer with the Fares Group, said they were very pleased with the committee’s decision.
“We’re hoping to go forward at a public hearing toward the end of May,” Mr. Saleh said. “I thought . . . except for one (committee) member, I thought that the questioning and the decision-making goes to support our development.”
Meanwhile, a second developer who wants to build a 21-storey condo complex in downtown Halifax will have to wait until next week to find out whether the committee supports his proposal.
Halkirk has proposed a $30-million complex for the south side of their Brewery Market property. After receiving a staff report that recommended the Halkirk development, the committee ran out of time before it had a chance to discuss the project.
The 66-metre proposed height for the South Park Street development was the biggest concern for Beverly Miller, acting chairwoman of the District 12 planning advisory committee. Ms. Miller was the only member to reject a staff recommendation
The Fares Group proposal does not meet municipal regulations that restrict building height to 14 metres at the site.
“I have trouble with staff recommending that because at the public information meeting (last year) there was considerable opposition from the people who live in Schmidtville area against a huge building going into their essentially low-rise neighbourhood,” Ms. Miller said.
“This is a neighbourhood question and a neighbourhood preservation question and just what is suitable in a particular neighbourhood.”
Schmidtville, bordered by Spring Garden Road, Dresden Row, Morris and Queen streets, forms an historic neighbourhood that dates from the late 1700s.
Other committee members did not support Ms. Miller’s motion to reject the proposal.
Municipal planning staff justified their recommendation by noting the area had become more urban since the municipal planning strategy was developed. In a report, staff said the Fares proposal for the highrise in this location is acceptable because tall buildings are already present.
The Fares Group and the advisory committee are looking for a site to relocate three Victorian houses that stand on the proposed building site.
“They are not registered heritage (buildings) but we are assessing the possibility of relocating them instead of demolishing them,” Mr. Saleh said. “And our company has offered to put the cost of demolition as well as discarding of the buildings toward the relocation.”
COMMENTS
Keith P. wrote:
Why is Bev Miller the chair of that committee? That is like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse as she is stauntly anti-development and a foe of any new buildings in the downtown. No wonder nothing new ever gets approved in this town. To say that is a low-rise neighborhood is absurd when you have Park Vic on one side and the Charterhouse on the other.
RyanNS wrote:
What is wrong with this city? Doesn’t anyone realize the impact this will have? If we continue to allow massive, skyscrapers to overtake or city you can say goodbye to cruise ships and tourists. People love Halifax because we are stuck in a time warp and oppose any development! In all seriousness good to see this approved 
haliguy wrote:
Great news!
CapeHalifax wrote:
If we have the technology to bury the several stories of parking that a structure this size if going to require, why not keep going and bury the whole thing. Our new claim to fame would be the largest subterainian dwelling in the world. I’m sure DND would rent the bottom couple of stories for its new R&D facility.
phrenic wrote:
Excellent news. Keep ‘em coming.
David fm CH wrote:
The environmentally responsbible way for a growing city to build is up. No more energy sucking suburban subdivisions!
HV wrote:
Bev Miller is out to lunch and should not be on this committee. Calling the area “essentially lowrise” is absurd. This site is surrounded on all sides by large scale buildings. This is a great proposal and should be built as soon as possible.
citizen@large wrote:
There is no legitimate reason why this building should be built beyond the height limits prescribed in the plan. The plan was created and approved for principled reasons. Why is this developer entitled to special treatment? The development community and HRM staff is out of touch with true green approaches to architecture and planning. High-rises are not legitimate sustainable approaches to planning and urban design. The Fares high-rise development is a total failure in terms of sustainability. The project will send several heritage buildings to the landfill, and leave the low-rise Schmidtville heritage neighbourhood in shadow in the afternoon hours and thereby compromise future solar energy potential. Solar energy technology will never be compatible of servicing a building of this size or design—either now or in the future. This dominating development will be another unsightly backdrop to the adjacent Public Gardens and Victoria Park. Where are the complete view impact, shadow and wind studies to identify and clarify the full impacts of this development? Nothing seems to matter any more as long as it is a high-rise development! Anything goes—who needs a plan, planning staff or a council—just build it!
awayfornow wrote:
Schmidtville, you have got to be kidding. As a 45 year native and resident of the Halifax area, this is the first time I have ever heard that area called so. We need progressive people in place that will bring development and tax base to the city. Get your heads out of the sand and out of your own back yards and look athe overall good fro the whole city!!!
phrenic wrote:
citizen@large, your posts are borderline comical as they show you have little to no factual knowledge about the specifics of these developments, nor knowledge of the complicated and often drawn-out approval process they must go through before being subject to approval. Not even knowledge of solar energy and how it is efficiently collected! If you are a Heritage Trust plant, please be advised your rants are not doing any favors for their “cause.”
Guy wrote:
Heritage preservation and commercial development depend on each other. They are talking about saving the two victorian homes that are on the site now. The only way they could afford to save those houses and to build an attractive building of high quality design and materials is to have a good ROI. Developers have to make money. Period. Otherwise, everything dies… heritage properties included.
Runesword wrote:
Might they mean Brenton Place and South Park Street?? Since South Park and Brenton Streets run parallel…
April 23, 2008 at 3:55 am
[...] The Bad One wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptMeanwhile, a second developer who wants to build a 21-storey condo complex in downtown Halifax will have to wait until next week to find out whether the committee supports his proposal. Halkirk has proposed a $30-million complex for the … [...]