Public Meetings May 2023
HRM Discussion Forum
On May 25th, three 2-hour sessions, put on by HRM, took place at the Halifax Forum and were attended in total by approximately 60 people. The majority of the time was spent in small group discussion led by an HRM staff person. While the Cushman Wakefield (CW) proposal continues to be front and center, the group discussions did focus on the first step in the process - the need to develop a Master Neighbourhood Plan (MNP) for the Growth Node before considering the development proposal.
Highlights of what we learned from the sessions includes:
HRM staff wanted suggestions from the community members - what they envision and want to see included in a Master Neighbourhood Plan such as services (grocery, retail, medical, etc.), percentage of land to be green space, types of buildings, pathways, desired density; desired building heights.
HRM Staff will prepare a “What We Heard” report for Council - likely for delivery in the fall; HRM may come back to the community for further consultation if they think more feedback is required.
HRM staff will also analyze input received in the online survey that is open until June 8 at shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/west-end-mall.
All of this plus anything else they hear back from community members will inform the creation of the Master Neighbourhood Plan (MNP) that will guide deliberations on any proposed development at the West End Mall Future Growth Node. The MNP will have the principals that can provide the 'guard rails' to ensuring any eventual development is something we can live with.
The Master Neighbourhood Plan must be completed and approved by HRM Council before a Development Proposal can be approved; timing is likely early 2024.
A Public Hearing is required before the MNP or any Development is approved but they may come in tandem.
There is a parallel process underway by the Cushman Wakefield group on behalf of the actual landowner - Ontario Pension Board - including traffic study and water and sewage capacity study. A required land survey is posted on shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/west-end-mall website; they have to provide those reports to HRM Note: Shape Mumford Growth (SMG) is trying to get a sense of when those studies will be ready and if they will be made public.
People asked why the MNP is confined to the West End Mall and does not include discussion about Halifax Shopping Centre lands directly across the Mumford Road given the obvious interrelationship.
Questions arose about the capacity of the transit hub to handle more people and whether it was going underground- staff suggested it is not HRM's preference. Concerns about potential traffic gridlock extending to the Armdale Roundabout and Exit Zero off Joseph Howe were repeatedly raised.
The idea of fifteen, 30 storey buildings and the proposed density of 5500 units housing approximately 12,500 people was uniformly dismissed as just too high; people felt the proposal lacked so many elements - green space, public space, etc. that it did not meet any modern standard required for a liveable neighbourhood. Note: important to emphasize the density proposed is higher than any other HRM Growth Node and, in fact, would be the highest proposed density for any development we can find in Canada or the United States.
Shape Mumford Growth will be pursuing confirmation of the timelines for a completed & approved Master Neighbourhood Plan- currently HRM is saying early 2024 to spring 2024. We are also requesting that enough space and time be created between the MNP approval and the approval of the development proposal to allow for further public input. Despite the requirement to hold a mandatory Public Hearing at HRM Council, once that stage is reached, very little change is likely possible.
What you can do now!
Now is the time is now to have your say - complete the online survey at shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/ west-end-mall; talk to your neighbours, reach out to your HRM councillor. Remind HRM to follow their own Vision of Future Growth Nodes as stated in HRM planning documents:
"This plan envisions each Node developing in a coordinated manner based on a master neighbourhood plan that considers its environmental, social, cultural and economic impact. Large-sized nodes [West End Mall is the largest!] are envisioned to develop into complete communities with supportive transit services, pedestrian-oriented streets, a mix of uses, services, parks, open spaces and community facilities and a mix of high-rise, tall mid-rise, mid-rise and low-rise buildings. "
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Thanks so much for your continued interest.