Halifax council to discuss new rules for established residential neighbourhoods

Regional council will discuss new planning rules for established residential neighbourhoods on peninsula Halifax and parts of Dartmouth on Tuesday.

Planners have been working on "'Package B'"of the Centre Plan since "Package A" was approved in 2019.

The plan was scrutinized by a number of municipal committees that made recommendations for changes.

For example, there is a proposal to eliminate the "West End Special Area." Coun. Shawn Cleary said different rules for the area are no longer needed.

"They stripped out the setbacks and the height and the only thing left was the lot coverage," said Cleary, "That doesn't make any sense because Elm and Kline Streets aren't any different from Shirley or Pepperell Streets."

If the new rules are adopted, a residential building in the area could occupy 40 per cent of a lot, up from 35 per cent.

In Dartmouth, the zoning for the property owned by the Roman Catholic church on Maple Street could be changed from institutional to a combination of institutional and residential, which would allow some of it to be redeveloped.

"Staff are recommending two different approaches to it, allowing more height on the Ochterloney Street side because it's further away from the low-density homes, and then keeping it shorter as you move up the hill," said Coun. Sam Austin.

There are also proposed changes to the planning rules for Young Avenue in south-end Halifax, where the redevelopment of the large lots has concerned local homeowners. There is also a proposal for new zoning that would allow for mobile homes and for so-called tiny homes.

Planners received 149 requests for site-specific changes from property owners. They're recommending about 40 per cent of them be rejected.

A public hearing on Package B will be scheduled once regional council is finished its debate.