Tag Archives: 29 storey Armoyen

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

Willow Tree Tower Ignores Planning Process and Common Interest

May 22, 2018

Dear Mayor and Council,
Re case 18966- 25-storey Armco Project

As members of the Friends of Halifax Common we write to ask that you not proceed with further steps towards approving a 25-storey ARMCO building at the corner of Quinpool and Robie.

We remind you that at the January 16th public hearing was for 20-storeys. At that time there were ~1039 submissions against the 20-storey project and dozens of members of the public who spoke against the development at that meeting and previous meetings. Just prior to the public hearing an independent Corporate Research Associate poll indicated that the majority of HRM residents (52%) supported 16-storeys or less with 1/10 of those surveyed supporting the 25-storey option.

We ask that you respect your own on-going planning processes; for the Centre Plan; and for the Masterplan for the Halifax Common. These processes ensure that an integrated plan is developed with a balance of benefits.

We remind you that a few affordable housing units is not a sufficient trade for how much the public is being asked to give up for this project. The residents of the adjacent Parker Street will have their affordable housing units sadly degraded if this project proceeds. The Halifax Common will be affected by winds that degrade the experience of recreational users of the fields. There will be a permanent afternoon shadow during winter skates on the Oval.

Please seek a balance of benefits and turn down this 25-storey option.

Your truly,
Friends of Halifax Common

The Draft Centre Plan Harms the Common- (some more)

Disruption to Halifax’s built environment proposed under the Centre Plan is of a scale equal to or greater than that of Cogswell and Africville together. Please attend the open houses (see schedule below) to inform yourself about the Centre Plan and provide feedback.

The Centre Plan is ignoring the on-going Halifax Common Master Plan Consultations

The draft Centre Plan threatens public enjoyment of the Halifax Common. The colours indicate increases to permitted height. This will lead to short or long-term demolitions of existing building and replacement with taller ones on and next to the Halifax Common.

and 1994 Halifax Common Plan. Despite substantial evidence that high-rises are not the way to add density and that they kill liveability HRM continues to plan for high-rises at “Centres” next to (Robie & Quinpool ) or on (Southwest Spring Garden Road) the Halifax Common. And the plan increases heights for most of the perimeter of the Common for “Corridors” (traffic sewers) along Robie, Chebucto to Cunard, and along South Street.

Although urban green space plays a huge role in mitigating the effect of climate change and nature improves mental and physical well-being HRM is not creating any new public green space for the peninsula just more shade and wind that will degrade what we have. Without knowing what the Plan will permit Capital Health or Dalhousie to do on the Halifax Common the Centre Plan is already drafting for continued incursions and enclosure of the Common. Especially troubling is the plan incentivizes short term or eventual demolition of hundreds of buildings and will result in on-going clashes with near-by properties.

A sensible solution to densifying the Centre Plan Area, would be to intensify land use development in areas where the character of the city would be the least affected. Examples include the 16 acre Cogswell Exchange, the large parcels of land designated as Future Growth Nodes (shopping malls and Shannon Park) or under-utilized commercial lots, vacant lots and automotive dealerships.

Instead the Centre Plan will disrupt many older, established neighbourhoods by increasing height limits along corridors (4-6 storeys), higher residential areas (4-6 storeys) and targeted growth areas (20-storeys). There is no consideration for the social, cultural, environmental, economic advantage of protecting Halifax’s built environment. Nor for protecting present or future opportunities for small-scale local businesses, women-owned businesses, affordability and diversity.

For details please see the interactive map. Note, typical story height is 3.9 meters for offices, 3.1 meters for hotels or residences and 3.5 meters for mixed- use.

Open house meetings March 19-April 5:
Mon, March 19, 6:30 – 8:30 pm: St. Joseph A. McKay Elementary School
Thurs March 22, 6-8 pm, NSCC Ivany (Waterfront) Campus
Mon, March 26, 1-3 pm and 6 – 8 pm Dalhousie SUB
Wed, March 28, 1-3 pm and 6 – 8 pm Mic Mac Aquatic Club
Tues April 3 6 – 8pm Halifax Forum
Thurs April 5 1 – 3 and 6 – 8 pm Dartmouth North Community Centre

HRM’s recently released Centre Plan “Package A,” has plans for designated growth centres, corridors, higher order residential and future growth nodes. There are three documents: a planning strategy, a land-use bylaw and a design manual and a“Big Changes” summary

Sheldon MacLeod Interview – Did HRM’s Invalid Survey Fool the Quinpool Biz Assn.?

Listen to Sheldon’s MacLeod’s interview with FHC about misuse of HRM’s invalid survey to push for 25-storeys.

On a matter of conduct FHC calls for a new HRM report on the APL proposal before another public hearing to correct inaccuracies, biases, omissions & false statements – For now the process is meaningless.

At January 16th’s public hearing on APL’s proposed 20-storey highrise, Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Assn. used HRM’s invalid on-line survey to claim that the public support 25 storeys and decided to push for 5 more storeys. That same invalid survey was used in HRM’s staff 2017 report report to council about proposed Willow Tree highrises as the top reason to recommend Armoyen’s proposed Willow Tree project even though HRM withdrew the 2014 survey because of acknowledged biases and misinformation.
“The online survey generally indicated support for increased heights for both properties.” Who can you trust?

For more details see FHC’s March 4th Media Release: FOIPOP Recipient Uses Invalid HRM On-line Survey to Promote Height at Willow Tree Site Continue reading →

Sheldon MacLeod Interview -Why is Quinpool Business Association Boycotting Neighbourhood?

FHC wonders why Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association enthusiastically endorsed APL’s proposed 25-storey building at Robie & Quinpool at the public hearing meant to consider 20-storeys.

January 16’s public hearing for a 20-storey proposal became one on 25-storeys after a few affordable housing units were promised. HRM has no authority under its Charter to enforce affordable housing requirements and has no definition of affordability.

Residents oppose this block-buster project and have engaged with the Centre Plan and Halifax Common Master Plan processes in hopes of developing a vision for the district that respects existing neighbourhoods & the Halifax Common. The Business Association has sent a strong message that working with the city planners and residents is not their priority. Listen to this Sheldon MacLeod interview to learn more.

Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association Boycotts Residents

FHC’s executive has written to the Quinpool Rd. Mainstreet District Association to express dismay at their enthusiastic endorsement of APL’s proposed 25-storey project at Robie and Quinpool at the January 16th public hearing. The Association is aware since the first public meeting that members of the public, largely residents of the neighbourhoods, were unanimously opposed to the project. At that time, the Association’s letter of support was the only one. The public’s opposition has only grown.

Source: draft Centre Plan (March 2017), 107; with heights added by the Willow Tree Group. APL’s project could not be built under the draft Centre Plan.

Demolition/construction at the new convention centre didn’t work out that well for local downtown businesses. FHC wonders if the Association is really representing their membership; why it supports a density dump of high-rises instead of in-fill or mid-rise developments that could add ~ 3,000 residents and support more pedestrian activity; and, why it doesn’t respect the existing neighbourhoods and Halifax Common?

Please let any of your favourite Quinpool business owners know that you are concerned if they aren’t respecting their neighbourhoods and recognizing the Halifax Common as an asset that should be protected. Loyalty to businesses on Quinpool Road is a two-way street – many residents will note the Association’s support of APL as a betrayal. Why isn’t the Association working with residents to make a better plan for Quinpool?

Please read FHC’s letter here:2018 FHC Quinpool Road Business Commission