FALL RIVER: The Carr Farm project is getting a redesign—thanks in large part to community concerns that the developer has heard.
At a press conference on Tuesday Aug. 6, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr announced the Carr Farm development would be one of four new designated Special Planning Areas (SPAs).
The new SPA’s will be able to support development of more than 23,000 residential units and 380 long-term care rooms, Lohr said.
“There is a tremendous need for housing in Halifax and surrounding areas,” said Lohr. “We are a significant way through the planning and development process with many of our initial special planning areas, and we are seeing the results.
“Designation is removing red tape and speeding up development.”
ADVERTISEMENT:
At the press conference with media in the room and on zoom, including The Laker News, Lohr mentioned that there have been some infrastructure issues with the development along Fall River Road.
“Some of the concerns from the community have been addressed so we’re confident that it can go ahead,” said Lohr.
Among the concerns from the community, including a community group and those on a Facebook page Plan Fall River, was the idea of having treated effluent discharged into Lake Thomas.
Lohr was asked further on why the development needed to be listed as part of an SPA, since it was approved by North West Community County already.
“The process is that the executive panel of which Vicki Elliott-Lopez is the chair, brings those forward to recommend to me,” he said.
Elliott-Lopez explained it a bit further.
“This one in particular it had been approved at a larger density, so in order to address the infrastructure issues, they’re going to have to go back to the beginning and redesign it at a slightly lower density,” she said. “What this will allow them to do is to provide assurances that it will still go ahead.
“The minister takes the place of council, as you know, so they won’t have to go back through the same processes again.”
The previous approved development saw close to 500 units to be built plus the 144 long-term care beds. That will now be reduced to 316 plus the 144 long-term facility beds in a separate building on site. It will also have its own on-site septic system.
ADVERTISEMENT:
Elliott-Lopez said the developer took the initiative to go back to the drawing board on the development.
“The developer themselves determined that,” she said. “There were some community concerns about the effluent going into the into the lake, despite the fact that it was going to be treated.
“In order to address those community concerns, he’s gone back and there will be on site septic instead.
“But the larger density wouldn’t allow for that, so the developers gone back to redesign according to that.”
Lohr was asked by The Laker News why the province didn’t ask the developer to keep the treated effluent in an on-site system rather than its planned discharge into Lake Thomas.
He passed that question to Elliott Lopez to answer.
“That wouldn’t be our place as the province,” she said. “They would work through all of their application and processes again with HRM as they are the primary planning body that we work with.
“The decision was made by the developer to scale back and to do the on-site septic system, I understand, in response to community concerns.”
ADVERTISEMENT:
MLA Brian Wong made a post on his Facebook about the news that he relayed to the community.
He said the designation of Site B (Carr Farm Development) becoming a Special Planning Area is a new application for redevelopment.
“This will expedite more housing for Fall River seniors as new redevelopment applications usually take three to five years,” he said. “I also know the community is very concerned about the wastewater treatment. “
Wong, the Advanced Education Minister, said the developer has submitted plans to HRM and Environment and Climate Change provided comments last week as the developer looks at advanced on-site septic – which may now be a viable option for the redevelopment.
“The long-term care facility will have its own on-site septic system,” he said.
Lohr said he appreciates the developer hearing the concerns from the community and acting.
“We do appreciate the developer taking those things into account,” said Lohr.
“I know they’re building a fair bit of trail in that area too, which we appreciate.”
ADVERTISEMENT:
The new special planning areas are:
– Westphal urban reserve lands, Dartmouth – up to 18,000 units, plus 96 long-term care rooms
– 1226 Cole Harbour Rd., Cole Harbour – more than 511 units, plus 144 long-term care rooms
– 1109 Fall River Rd., Fall River (Opportunity Site B) – 316 units, plus 144 long-term care rooms
– Paper Mill Lake, Bedford – up to 4,714 units, including 214 units in Phase 1.
The Minister has also approved a recommendation by the Executive Panel on Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality to issue a development agreement to Perry Lake Developments Inc. for 120 units off Ingram Drive in Fall River (Opportunity Site C). (We have a separate story on this going online on Wednesday)
Amendments to the development agreement for the Southdale-Mount Hope special planning area were also approved to allow the project to progress as planned, with no impact from changes to the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.
Maps of the special planning areas are available at: https://novascotia.ca/housing-panel/
