Category Archives: INITIATIVES

Activist initiatives such as encouraging letter-writing. New projects. Protesting.

Public hearing – “Pizza with the Works” to be Served

At 6pm, Tuesday May 21, at a Public Hearing at City Hall Mayor and Council will decide what their appetite is for a proposed 8-storey + penthouse building at the corner of Robie, Cunard and Compton Streets. Changing the existing height restriction of 35-40’ along the western edge of Robie Street to permit the development will drastically alter the character streetscape that citizens view from and near the Halifax’s North Common.

An 8-storey + penthouse "Pizza with the works" development will go to public hearing on Tuesday May 21, 6pm. 6 to 8 historic buildings on the western edge of the North Common will be demolished.

An 8-storey + penthouse “Pizza with the works” development will go to public hearing on Tuesday May 21, 6pm. 6 to 8 historic buildings on the western edge of the North Common will be demolished.

“The multi-coloured, multi-facaded building is like an over-sized pizza with the works but so far, feedback from about 80 citizens at two Public consultations confirming this has been largely ignored,” said Peggy Cameron, Friends of Halifax Common co-chair. “It’s troubling that while cities around the world are recognizing the importance of distinctive, historic buildings as critical for economic, social, cultural and environmental reasons, Halifax would even consider changing the rules to tear down another 6-8 character buildings* and continue our conversion into an any-where, any-city streetscape.“

Citizen’s group Development Options Halifax is calling for 3-D models of all developments being considered now and under the proposed Centre Plan before its approval. “3-D models show details that otherwise are being missed,” says the group’s Larry Haiven. “In this case we could better understand what the result will be if city changes the exiting height restriction to permit this massive building on the western edge of the Halifax Common, what the effect on the neighbourhood is or how adding 75 cars impacts Compton Street and the nearby busy intersection at Robie,” said the retired Saint Mary’s business professor.

Two properties adjacent to the proposal on Cunard were recently bought and renovated into attractive, multi-unit buildings that are-in-keeping with the character of the neighbourhood. Studies prove that older, smaller, neighbourhoods are more sought after for successful destinations.

Neighbourhood restaurants like Jane’s on the Common (now re-located to Gottingen Street), Studio 21, Elliot & Vine, Robie Street Station, El Chino Snack Bar and Tony’s are examples of what makes this part of the city interesting. The new offering gives nothing to the community while proposing huge advantages to the developer.

*Some of the multi-unit historic buildings to be demolished are:

2162 and 2164 Robie (at Compton)

  

2166 Robie Street

2176 Robie Street

  

2178 Robie and 2182 Robie (at Cunard)

Dear Centre Plan, Show us your 3-D models!

Dalhousie architecture student Hadrian Laing volunteered to produce this 3-D model of 4 towers proposed for historic the Carlton St. neighbourhood- together & for the first time!

FHC has joined other citizens to form Development Options Halifax. Recently the public saw our 3-D print model of 4 towers that 2 developers want to build at Carleton, College, Spring Garden and Robie. This technology is readily available, effective and  cheap but it’s the first time it’s been used to model developments for Halifax citizens. 

In January we developed and showed the public drawings of the two proposals together, again for the first time – even though they’re on the same block HRM processes and meetings have been entirely separate! The model is so successful we call on HRM to provide 3-D print models of all proposed developments and Centre Plan changes in advance of its approval. The public has the right to know what HRM plans for the city. This “to scale” model captures how out-of-scale the proposals, at 80% the square footage of the convention centre, are. It allows a comparison of before and after, and helps explore better options for in-fill respectful of Halifax Common’s last historic neighbourhood.

HRM planning needs a more open, transparent process. During June 2016 Centre Plan public consultations, HRM Staff story-boards suggested their target of addition 400 residents to the area could be accommodated in two 10-storey buildings or one 10-storey building and two 5-storey buildings. But Staff didn’t include the already approved 18-storey high-rise that Killam will build on Carlton by Camp Hill Cemetery – it would house 70% of the 400 residents!

There are so many unanswered questions. How is it volunteers are showing the mass and scale of these developments together to the public for the first time? And presenting the first 3-D model? Why are the 2012 and 2016 requests by Heritage Trust for the last historic neighbourhood on the Halifax Common to be designated as a conservation area being ignored? Almost 50% of the buildings are heritage and another 11 qualify. Why is HRM planning for the wasteful destruction of up to 12 buildings? Its a small-scale, mixed-use, commercial and residential neighborhood with many affordable units and hidden density.

There are better options. The 3-D model helped us visualize and calculate that 8-storey buildings could be constructed in the 48,000 sq ft of parking area in the centre of the block. These could accommodate approximately 213  two-bedroom units or ~534 people. Similarly a low-rise building could be built at Killam’s property at 5880 Spring Garden Road next to the Glitter Bean. The towers are not necessary.

Please ask the Mayor and Council to not approve these 2 developments. Sign the petition: https://forms.gle/3enTs6PfSkmMmNW48

 

Planning A Carlton Street Super Block Isn’t Urgent – It’s Premature, Piecemeal and Peculiar.

Why exactly are Mayor Savage and HRM Council following the lead of the Lawen/Dexel and Rouvalis developers who want to break rules and jump ahead of HRM’s planning process to build 16, 20, 26 and 30-storey towers on the Carlton Street block of the Halifax Common? Listen to Rick Howe’s interview with FHC director Howard Epstein about his letter to Mayor and Council to hear some of the many reasons why the proposed super blockers should be deferred or defeated.

Read the letter here: FHC Director Howard Epstein’s letter of Jan 28th to Mayor and Council re: Carlton Street

 

Want to help out? Scroll down to find a poster and 2-sided flyer you can print and distribute.

     Print and post this poster in your neighbourhood and workplace.

Download and print a 8.5 x 11 two-sided handbill.

There are four handbills per printed sheet.

    

 

 

Heritage is Greater than the Sum of the Parts

In early January FHC as part of Development Options Halifax held a media conference to show a model of two massive developments (16-, 20-, 26- and 30-storey towers) proposed for the historic Carlton Street area together to the public for the first time. Listen to the interview below by News 95.7 Sheldon MacLeod about the work that this group is initiating, to learn what better and more sustainable options for densification in Halifax could be, and to understand the context on what is at risk if we follow these developers’ lead and lose older, smaller, mixed-use neighbourhoods.

Proposed changes to heritage properties in this historic neighbourhood were approved by the Mayor and Council on Jan 29th- see details below. This continues the way for the two proposals that together are equivalent to ~80% of the new convention centre, and the demolition of 12 buildings on the Halifax Common’s only remaining historic neighbourhood. (See three related media stories below.) 
 

Please take action! There’s a draft sample letter that you can copy and paste to the Mayor and Council, the Heritage Advisory Committee, the Halifax and West Peninsula Community Council c/o clerks@halifax.ca here https://www.facebook.com/pg/halifaxcommon/posts/ and there are other details here https://www.developmentoptionshfx.com/take-action/  

 
 
Some approved changes to Carlton St. Heritage properties are:

Case H00456 (Rouvalis) proposes several amendments to heritage properties in the historic Carlton Street area. The major one is relocating two buildings on College Street east to lots adjacent to Carlton Street so their properties can be freed up for the proposed 20 and 26 storey developments. After the move, the Gold Cure Institute, a registered heritage building at 5969 College Street and the unregistered 5963 College would be re-registered as heritage properties. Parking for 384 underground vehicles is proposed to go next to the heritage properties on College Street.



Case H00462 (Lawen/Dexel) proposes several amendments, the major ones being the subdivision of four rear yards of houses on Carlton Street so the new lots can be part of the proposed 16 and 30 storey developments. As part of this, 5950 Spring Garden Road, a house which was joined to 1494 Carlton Street (the home of Margaret Marshall Saunders at the corner of Carlton Street and Spring Garden Road) with an adjoining addition in the 1990s making it a heritage property will be demolished. Parking access for 380 underground vehicles is proposed to go between the Margaret Marshall Saunders home at 1494 Carlton Street and 1484 Carlton Street.

In 2012 and again in 2016 Heritage Trust requested that this area be considered a Heritage Conservation District as 50% of the buildings in the area are heritage and another 11 would qualify. So why is HRM working to move, demolish and subdivide heritage properties when the only beneficiary is private profit for private developers who want 16-, 23-, 26- and 30-storey towers to loom over Carlton Street?

Time to Start Over – Spring Garden Road, Robie, College, Carlton St Projects are TOO Massive

“Development Options Halifax” is a new group using technology to model two proposals for four towers 16, 30, 20 and 26-storeys, at Spring Garden Rd, Robie, College and Carlton Streets and to explore alternatives. At 3/4 the size of the Nova Centre these are among the most colossal proposals in Halifax to date. If approved the scale of all subsequent development in the city will change. So far in the planning process the two projects have been separate. By presenting the model of the two developments together in the context of Carlton Street and the adjacent neighbourhood Development Options hopes the public will be better informed and ask for a more transparent process. Please write to clerks@halifax.ca (Below is a sample letter)

Dear Heritage Advisory Committee, HRM Halifax and West Community Council, and Mayor and Council;

The older, smaller, Carlton Street neighbourhood is just the kind of neighbourhood that gives the best return on measures for economics, hidden density, affordability, local business, diversity and desirability. And re-using and retrofitting existing buildings almost always offers the best environmental choice over demolition. Instead of demolishing 12 buildings for four out-of-scale towers that will loom over historic Carlton Street, only small scale in-fill development should be permitted. Protect the last historic neighbourhood on the Halifax Common and Carlton Street, a nationally recognized “rare” Early Victorian heritage streetscape. Make the best economic and environmental choice for densification: do not approve the proposed 16, 20, 26 and 30 storey towers.
Sincerely,
(Name, Address)

Learn more at: developmentoptionshfx.com

Rick Howe 95.7- Carlton Street Area- Conservation District or Developers’ Demolition Dream?

The Dexel proposal is for 30- and 16-storey towers with 250 residential units plus 60,000 ft2 of office space, ~21,000 ft of commercial and 380 underground parking units (entrance/exit on Carlton Street). This proposal will requires the demolition of roughly 8-9 buildings destroying ~20 small-scale residential and commercial units mostly at Spring Garden Road.

Next steps for 2 proposals for 16-, 20-, 26- & 30-storey towers beside Carlton Street, (Halifax’s only Heritage streetscape?) will be a review by the Heritage Advisory Committee and then the Halifax and West Community Council. Meeting dates are not yet scheduled.

Up to 11 buildings on the last historic neighbourhood of the South Common will be demolished at Spring Garden, Robie and College. The proposals ignore the 1994 Halifax Common Plan’s commitment to plan for the entire 240 acre grant.  They ignore formal requests to HRM for a designated Conservation Area. And they ignore overwhelming public opposition. Learn more with Rick Howe’s interview.

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Read Chronicle Herald coverage by Francis Campbell here:

Developer pitches twin towers for Halifax’s Robie Street, concerned group counters

Continue reading →

Designate Carlton Street Area as Conservation District!

Two developments for four towers (16-, 20-, 23-, 30-storeys) on the single block between Carlton, Spring Garden, Robie & College continue on a path to destroy dozens of affordable housing and small-scale commercial units on the last historic neighbourhood on the Halifax Common’s South Common. In an August 29th letter to Mayor Savage  FHC Director Howard Epstein requested a halt to these proceedings until a Heritage Trust request made in 2012 and another request in 2016 that the area be considered a conservation district or part of a conservation district are considered.  FHC didn’t hear back from Mayor Savage.

The classic 3-storey Coburg Apartments, an Edwardian-era building on the South Common, is one of dozens of buildings under threat by two developers who hope to erect 16 & 29 storey and 20 & 26 storey high-rises in the single block between Carlton, College, Robie and Spring Garden Road. Formal requests in 2012 and 2016 for this area to be designated a Conservation District have so far been ignored.

This week Case 20761 & Case 20218 come before the HRM’s Peninsula Advisory Committee (4pm Mon) and HRM’s Heritage Advisory Committee (4pm Wed) at City Hall. These committees act on behalf of all citizens. Their duty is to use their power to balance the interests of all residents, not just pander to the pursuit of profit by certain private developers. So, FHC’s September 24th letter to PAC and HAC asks that PAC & HAC request that proceedings on the proposals are halted until the 2012 and 2016 requests for a Conservation District for this area be considered.

The proposed 4 towers, 2 others in the works plus an 7 existing  means 13 in total for this small area. Why aren’t these 13 towers being considered together? Where are the 3-D models and studies for cumulative impact of wind, shadow, traffic, noise?

Over half of the buildings in the area have Heritage designation and 11 more qualify.  The towers aren’t necessary; Centre Plan’s growth target of 400 residents could be achieved with one 5-storey apartment building and the already approved 18-storey Killam tower next to the Camp Hill Cemetery.

Why isn’t the city building on the economic, social, environmental and cultural advantages that small-scale, older, smaller buildings are proven to provide? And how does destroying buildings to replace them with greenhouse glass and concrete towers address climate change? Or fulfill the need for ‘gentle or middle” style housing that can support density and attract families?

Who runs city hall? Mayor Savage doesn’t answer correspondence and HRM planning ignores valid input and concerns.  Write the PAC and HAC to ask that they request a halt to the projects and recommend Conservation Designation for the area. Remind them to act on behalf of all citizens, not developers. clerks@halifax.ca

 

Common Roots Urban Farm – Transplant it to St Pat’s!

Gardening doula Jayme Melrose at Common Roots Urban Farm (Chronicle Herald, Christian LaForce / Staff / 2015)

An idea planted by FHC led Jayme Melrose and  her volunteers to transform QEHS lands into a place of productive beauty. Now the farm is evicted and still homeless. So let’s imagine the St Pat’s site with that same vision & ask HRM to transplant Common Roots to Quinpool. 95.7’s Listen to Sheldon MacLeod’s interview with FCH for details. 

 

Time to care for Canada’s oldest, besieged Common – Chronicle Herald Op Ed

Rick Howe Interview – Council Caves on Willow Tree Tower

HRM Council approved 25 storeys at Quinpool /Robie.

In June HRM Council ignored public opinion and staff advice to vote 10 to 6 in favour of George Armoyen’s 25-storey tower at Robie and Quinpool. The building will degrade the neighbourhood and the Halifax Common. And the decision assures an elite class of developers that democratically derived rules don’t matter to Council. Hear a quick review…

FHC’s Presentation to Council at Willow Tree Public Hearing

Present rules restrict Armco’s 11-storey building at Robie and Quinpool to its present size to protect the Halifax Common and its neighbourhood.

June 19, 2018

Dear Mayor and Council,

Friends of Halifax Common oppose this proposed 25-storey tower. Further we believe this project is the wrong focus for HRM staff, Council and the public at this time.

FHC has closely followed or participated in the ~ 20 “events” that have led to today’s extra public hearing. These included public information meetings, Peninsula Advisory Committee meetings, a survey, HRM staff reports and supplementary reports, Community Council and Council of the Whole reviews and votes and scheduled, cancelled and re-scheduled public hearings. FHC’s major review and request for a new comprehensive staff report submitted in May 2017 has been ignored.

This project’s consumption of HRM staff and Mayor and council resources paid for by the public tax dollar has all been to ensure that the desired profit of an unsolicited project owned by a single developer can be met and has proceeded without disclosure of any business case or financial evidence.

The proposed tower should not be considered for many reasons.

  • It breaks 10 Halifax Peninsula Land Use By-laws under the Municipal Planning Strategy and could not be built under the draft Centre Plan.
  • HRM staff have recommended against this height-they are your professionals.
  • The majority of the public oppose the building and its not just a small vocal minority as asserted by the developer. An independent CRA poll found that over half of those polled supported 16 storeys or less and only 10% supported 25-storeys.
  • Densification can happen but this project is not needed- Grant Wanzel and Steve Parcell, professors from Dalhousie’s School of architecture as members of the Willow Tree Group found that ~3000 residents could be added to the Quinpool Road area with in-fill and buildings of between 4-6 storeys. And under the Regional Plan 125 persons/acre can be accommodated in a 3-storey building or in 3 storeys of residential on a commercial base in the Quinpool Corridor.
  • And finally other buildings can be and are being built without controversy because they conform to existing planning rules- a recent example is the 11-storey commercial and apartment building constructed by Ross Cantwell on Gottingen St., built as of right.

Ad hoc decision making that gives preferential treatment to individual developers instead of balancing it with the public interest is not the way to plan for the future of our city.

In 1994 the City of Halifax adopted the Halifax Common Plan which was the outcome of a public consultation process stemming from citizen frustration over ad hoc decisions It committed the city to develop a masterplan for the 235 acre Halifax Common in conjunction with overall planning of the city. The long term management plan was to encompass a vision that ensured protection of the Halifax Common and the recapture and the retention of Halifax Common land. Buildings that were meant to return to the Halifax Common included the CBC TV, the QEHS, the Grace Maternity,

It is a problem that HRM is making this decision about this individual developer’s 25-storey project without first following through on its commitment made with the 1994 Halifax Common plan – that is to complete the master plan and to do it within the context of planning for the city. This building and other proposed high rises under the draft Centre Plan and several individual Development Agreement processes in the works will have a huge and negative impact on the Halifax Common with increased wind, traffic, blocking the western sky and in this case a permanent shadow on afternoon skates on the Oval.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if staff resources and council time was focused on planning for our city? What if the priority was not that the owner of APL meets his desired profit but to complete the master plan for the Halifax Common and the draft Centre Plan?

Thank you,

Peggy Cameron
Co-chair, Friends of Halifax Common

FHC – Being For Good Public Process — Not Against Oval

June 19, 2018

Dear Mayor and Council Re- The Oval

I believe it is always best to have public perception reflect reality. At last evening’s public hearing there were a couple of references by council that members of the audience had been against the Oval but were now presenting that they were concerned about the effect of the proposed 25-storey building’s shadow on it. It is unfortunate that Friends of Halifax Common were not granted their request in 2011 to speak before Council about their ideas for the Oval and some Councillors may have the wrong impression of the position FHC has with respect to the Oval.

To clarify any confusion about the position of Friends of Halifax Common on the Oval please find attached the FHC press release from April 2011. It reflects the position of the FHC then and now. You will read that we included comments by Derek Hawes a refrigeration expert who had been working throughout the province to help arenas/rinks reduce GHG emissions and improve energy efficiency. His information about 140 homes being able to be heated from waste heat is what led the FHC to support the Oval be located at the Central Common. Waste heat from the Oval would have been sufficient to heat all of the institutional buildings (hospitals, school, museum, pavilion, CBC TV) in the area. These were details FHC brought forward when we voluntarily went to a number of community council meetings (because we were unable to speak to Council of the Whole) to suggest a better process would result in a better outcome.

It was the architectural firm DRSA that had a volunteer team of architects come forward in support of the Wanderers Grounds as a location for the Oval. They were brave to do so at that time because in Halifax alternative positions often get framed as being anti. Ironically they were later awarded the RFP for the new building on the North Common although they considered this to be an inferior location. FHC may have mentioned this as a solution, but it was generally referenced as being this firm’s idea.

Friends of Halifax Common

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FHC did oppose the construction of a new building on the North Common. Our position was always that the existing Pavilion building next to the skatepark be re-built or repurposed and used for a general recreational facility. This is where the majority of hard-surfaced infrastructure already is. We also proposed that if there was a broader consultation other ideas would come forward. For example Winnipeg has a yearly architectural competition for the design of temporary warming huts that create a special creative but functional solution. In response to the RFP from HRM FHC critiqued the building plan for its lack of public space-it primarily serves the needs of support staff and equipment and zamboni storage.

These details may be too nuanced for the press or Save the Oval members to have paid attention to however I believe it is worth while trying to represent the facts rather than the rumours in any discussion. Perhaps what this speaks most strongly to is the failure of good process and transparency in decisions with respect to the Halifax Common which often results in short-term solutions, polarized perceptions and rumour- mongering.

Open discussion with citizens can be the opportunity for good ideas. For instance had the Oval been located on the Central Common the waste heat could now be used for a year-round heated outdoor pool at the proposed new aquatic centre.

And the Common Roots Urban Farm is the outcome of an idea and the work of FHC. FHC had several meetings with some visionary folks at Capital Health to encourage them to use the former QEHS site as a garden. After we convinced them to proceed it was our group that introduced Jayme Melrose to them and the rest is history.

As with last evening’s presentation FHC’s ask has always been that the City honour its 1994 commitment to develop a master plan for the 235 acre Halifax Common in conjunction with overall planning of the city such that there is best outcome for the common good. Adding an unsolicited 25-storey building that shadows the Oval does not meet that criteria.

Thank you,

Peggy Cameron
Co-chair, Friends of Halifax Common

Friends of Halifax Common

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PRESS RELEASE- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 27, 2011

(Halifax) In its rush to Save the Oval, the HRM staff report on the Canada Games Oval recommending a single centralized skating facility on the North Halifax Common has miscalculated the price tag and budget implications.

“One cost missing is NSPI’s forecasted 20% electricity rate increase by 2015,” says Alan Ruffman, Executive member of Friends of Halifax Common.

“Another is the increased cost of energy consumption and maintenance of such a large outdoor ice surface when Environment Canada is telling us that, thanks to climate change, we’ve just come through the warmest winter on record- the 14th in a row, and one with many extreme weather events that bring high winds, high rain and snowfalls and lots of power outages,” concludes Ruffman.

Derek Hawes, project manager for the Ice Rink Energy Programme that is operated through the Recreation Facility Association of Nova Scotia, raised several concerns with HRM about the oval.

“This one facility has a similar refrigeration capacity as eight indoor community arenas, and in another location such as the Central Common or Beasley Field, the waste heat could be used to heat approximately 140 homes or the equivalent number of public buildings such as hospitals or a school,” said Mr Hawes.

“I suggested a number of other skating options, including skating paths in Victoria Park, on the Grand Parade or other community destinations where the waste heat could be used, but for the staff, the oval on the Common was a done deal,” Mr. Hawes continued.

Hawes is also concerned about the quality of the refrigeration units the city purchased: “I have reason to believe the long-term operating and maintenance costs will be significantly higher than staff projected.”

“Unfortunately, Council was misled and based their decision on misinformation provided in the staff report- If the oval goes ahead, it would be the most expensive and environmentally unfriendly rink ever built in the province.” concluded Mr. Hawes.

Friends of Halifax Common presented at several HRM Community Councils meetings to urge more time be taken so the best decision is made. Members suggest that the oval could be a focus for the redesign of the Central Common or, as proposed in the original plan for the Canada Winter Games Skating oval, to have a network of community neighbourhood skating venues throughout HRM instead of forcing everyone to drive to one destination.

The North Common is less than one-third of the original public open space on the Halifax Common.

“The skating oval is another example of where the HRM staff are rushing into a poor planning decision for the Halifax Common instead of respecting a long-term master-plan,” said Beverly Miller, FHC Co-chair. “Public open space on the Halifax Common will be lost, or continue to be covered with concrete or remain under threat of commercialization as long as there is no proper public process,” concluded Miller.

Theestimateformakingtheovalpermanentisapproximately$6milliondollars. Althoughsponsorshavecome forward, all HRM taxpayers will be contributing $8 per $100,000 property value. No estimates have been provided for multiple outdoor skating rinks throughout HRM.

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For information on the Friends of Halifax Common: http://halifaxcommon.ca/index.html

Friends of Halifax Common

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