Amend the Centre Plan, Protect Halifax Trees! Public Hearing, May 21

Halifax planning is killing urban trees. Cutting trees for the QEII hospital is part of a bigger problem. The Centre Plan reduced public open space requirements and increased lot coverage for development threatening trees & green space. And its Robie Street Transportation Corridor will cut ~ 80 trees to widen the street. See: https://shorturl.at/tCDHU

Robie Street Transportation Corridor will cut ~ 80 trees to widen the street and demolish dozens of buildings. Take a detailed look here: https://shorturl.at/tCDHU

But here’s how we can change this !

Newly proposed changes to the Centre Plan for the Federal Government’s Accelerator Fund will cause even more cutting on private land and greater harm / killing of public trees along city streets as development and demolitions intensifies. But these changes require public input!

Good News – May 21 Public Hearing: You have a rare and important opportunity to write or speak and ask for changes to proposed amendments to the Centre Plan for the Federal Government’s Accelerator Fund.
Have Your Say – Email or Speak to HRM Council to ask that they:

1. Amend the Centre Plan to remove the Robie Street Transportation Corridor. 

2. Amend the Centre Plan to protect the Urban Forest, greenspace and existing housing. There are better options.

Send comments by 10am Tuesday via email to clerks@halifax.ca
Register to speak by email to clerks@halifax.ca or call (902) 490-4210 
Details here: https://shorturl.at/zAFZ3

3. Sign the petition – Demand a Better Plan to Address Halifax’s Housing Crisis!
https://chng.it/CtyPk8ggtf

  • Other Information:
    The Federal Government’s Accelerator is for small-scale, missing middle, gentle density. HRM’s rush to zoning changes is a market based housing solution not an affordable housing solution. It leaves existing affordable housing unprotected and climate action unsupported.

  • HRM staff stated (April 24th) that 15,179 housing units were under permit and 250,000 units could be developed as of right. The mayor commented that constraints against building are interest rates and labour and materials. Changing zoning can’t change that.

  • Density is necessary but it needn’t be destructive. HRM has ~12,000 vacant lots; acres of under-utilized surface parking lots, car dealerships etc.; and publicly owned Cogswell and Shannon Park. Prioritize these areas first.

  • The Robie Street Transportation Corridor threatens community housing and services especially for First Nations, Housing Co-ops, Shelters. Widening Robie Street is not a transportation solution and it harms public safety/health is harmed (VOCs, GHGs, toxic emissions, pedestrian accidents, noise).  

  • Green space and trees are infrastructure! They play a vital role in storm water management, air clearing, temperature regulation, climate mitigation, traffic calming and best of all beauty!

  • Using public money to cut trees, demolish buildings and turn Robie into a cross town connector is not a transportation solution! Bidirectional overhead signals to reallocate existing road space as used on the MacDonald Bridge or Chebucto Road are cheap, fast and work!