Tuesday 24th 2006

Group fights Bedford project
Residents fear ruling will open door to highrise developments
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter


Municipal approval of a multimillion-dollar development for Moirs Mills Road is being appealed by some of the Bedford project’s neighbours.

The three regional councillors who make up the Northwest community council approved Greater Homes’ project last month. The building is to include 30 condo units and a two-storey commercial storefront at 910 Bedford Highway.

But resident Jan Bird says the development doesn’t follow the planning strategy for Bedford, and her residents group is appealing its approval to the provincial Utility and Review Board.

Her group is worried that the project’s approval will become the catalyst for more high-density highrise developments along the Bedford Highway, and the group has essentially been fighting the project for 18 months.

The building shows four storeys on its Bedford Highway face but tiers upward in the back to meet the grade of the hill behind it.

"This is going to be the domino for the rest of Bedford," Ms. Bird said Monday. "Once you set the precedent, you can’t get the toothpaste back in the tube."

When she bought a nearby townhouse three years ago, she expected to be moving into a stable zoning area.

"It was like a little country neighbourhood," she said of the big treed lots.

But Greater Homes’ plans reveal that a nearby single-family home and many surrounding trees will be razed.

"They are taking out 150-year-old trees that are gorgeous . . . and it’s all being taken down to put up this concrete thing."

Part of Ms. Bird’s complaint is that only three of Halifax Regional Municipality’s 23 councillors sit on the community council that approved the development.

"There is a total of $850 million in projects going into Bedford," she said, "and that is certainly way more than anything proposed for Halifax."

By comparison, she said, a 27-storey development proposed for Hollis Street in downtown Halifax has an estimated price tag of $150 million.

A few years ago, council voted to take over downtown development issues from the Peninsula community council.

But trying that in Bedford wouldn’t work, says one of the councillors who OK’d the Greater Homes project.

"There are a lot of development issues, quite large-scale ones, in Bedford, but we have a planning advisory committee, and a staff, that deal with these applications," Coun. Bob Harvey (Lower Sackville) said Monday. "There is a proper public process where appeals are possible from decisions."

Mr. Harvey, who has made decisions about Bedford planning since municipal amalgamation a decade ago, says the three-councillor makeup of the Northwest community council has never been an issue.

"That’s the first time I’ve heard those comments about Bedford," he said.

Another regional councillor suggested there could be merit in assigning a size or dollar-value limit on developments, beyond which they would go before the entire regional council.

"My opinion . . . would be to do it based on the value of the project or the size or some measure," Coun. Andrew Younger (East Dartmouth-The Lakes) said Monday.

"So that no matter where it is . . . if it’s a big-value project, then we should (have control over it)."

Dates for the appeal before the Utility and Review Board will be set later.

( apugsley@herald.ca)



I can not believe my eyes when I read this storey today, is this idiot lady for real? This could not be a better place for the building Greater Homes has proposed for that site. Its only 30 units with a commercial front. Its people like Mrs. Bird face that makes any new development in Halifax a pain in the ass. I hope the developer cuts down every last tree on that space. Matter-of-fact I will do it for free. :evil:

God, if people want that "country setting" which I don't understand why anyone would in the first place, then don't move into a growing city. These people are contradicting themselves so badly its almost sickening.

I too hope they develop the hell out of that area, Im sick of these appeals.

that is so stupid lol. bedford will be a fairly big suburbia when halifax gets bigger. it doesn't take a brain scientist to figure that out.

Even Dartmouth is not up to speed in accepting building up and dense; what would you expect of Bedford, right??

Unfortunately, when most people buy they see what's there now, and not what's going to be there. I can understand the appeal of a country setting, but I wouldn't exactly look at Bedford for it. I checked out the proposal and I don't really see what the problem is, it's only 4 storeys, and many small towns pull that off without feeling "big" (name a small town, it's got them).

At the same time, Bedford isn't the place to concentrate highrises yet, but I highly doubt this proposal would lead to that. The "downtown" already has some decent sized buildings, so I'd focus on concentrating "high density" development there if it's going to be in Bedford in the first place.

Not too sure where exactly this development is going to be, but it's not one that's going to stick out like a sore thumb nomatter where it is pretty much.

This is spin, both from the media and from the actual group making the appeal.

Lots of construction is happening in Bedford and lots of construction has happened in the past. Bedford has many, many buildings larger than the one currently being opposed and plenty of others such as the RIM building have gotten by more or less unopposed.

I don't know what else to say really. The sentiment expressed in the article simply has no basis in reality. It is the same as the people who act as if every building that goes up downtown is setting some kind of "precedent". They either don't know what they are talking about or are trying to take advantage of the ignorance of others.

Here's a satellite image of the area. The building would go in right below the arrow: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=moirs+mill+road+and+bedford+highway,+halifax&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=44.712662,-63.677412&spn=0.003972,0.012885&t=h&om=1

Obviously we're not talking Manhattan here, but there are clearly plenty of condos in the area already. They range from 4-6 storeys in height.

Yeah, like I said before, it's not going to stick out so it's just foolishness of locals not looking beyond their backyards. In an area like that (now that I know where it is), you have to expect that kind of development to happen in a growing suburb/town. Unfortunately, most people make their decisions to buy based on what their backyard looks like at the time, and don't look beyond it, both in time and space, and that's where NIMBYism is the worst, people who recently bought and want nothing to change until they decide to move.

I can't believe a four-storey development is trying to be passed off as a catalyst for future "highrises" by these people, unless they consider four storeys a "highrise" in Bedford. Though I do share some of their sentiment for not wanting Bedford to become an area of generic 12-16 storey condos that resemble slab developments or have that foolish brick/vinyl siding pattern on the exterior, this project suits the area and Bedford itself. I like Bedford every (rare) time I visit, and I like this project for it.

I remember watching the Halifax Council broadcasts while this issue was being discussed and it was ridiculous. We couldnt believe the such opposition to a well designed building. Most of the reasons where retatred beyond belief. They thought it would be a precedent causing the Bedford highway to become a "concrete corridor". Not that I believe this development would cause this, but it didnt seem like a bad thing. Its not like there is a shortage of natural areas in the province!

They're probably also a bit riled up about that other condo project that was between the road and the basin. Apparently every private landowner in the area is supposed to leave their properties untouched so that some people can have nice views as they drive around.