16-05-2025
N.S. designates new special planning area near Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes
The Nova Scotia government is trying to spur more new housing in the Halifax area by adding another piece of land to the list of areas fast-tracked for development, and calling on the city to start work on development plans for two areas.
Colton LeBlanc, the minister for growth and development, announced Friday morning that he's designated 255 hectares of land west of Highway 102 between Kearney Lake Road and Lacewood Drive as a special planning area. The corridor of land abuts the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes area.
LeBlanc also asked Halifax Regional Municipality to start secondary planning work for the Highway 102 area and the Sandy Lake special planning area. Secondary planning looks at infrastructure needs that include water, sewer and transportation.
"What we'll see here is, over five, 10, 15 years, a controlled growth of housing in these two areas to help fill the gaps in our housing needs," LeBlanc told reporters.
LeBlanc said both areas were identified for potential growth as far back as 2006. In the case of the Highway 102 corridor, developers have shown interest in the past, but the city refused to give approval to one, prompting a lawsuit.
Vicki Elliott-Lopez, associate deputy minister of growth and development and chair of HRM's executive panel on housing, spoke alongside LeBlanc at a new conference Friday.
"Good land, quite frankly, is really difficult to find for development these days," she said of the new designation. "It's getting more scarce, particularly around HRM and this will free up that opportunity."
Development at Sandy Lake has been protested by several groups and individuals, including the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Members of the group have referred to the Sandy Lake area as Halifax's lungs and said it should be protected.
LeBlanc said environmental concerns were looked at in and mitigation efforts "will be looked at."
"Nova Scotians take great pride in our environment and our government … would not do anything to jeopardize our environment," LeBlanc said.
