Developers Want Rule Changes For Four Highrise Apartment Buildings In Halifax

HALIFAX—Two developers are asking Halifax Regional Council to change the city’s development rules so they can build several highrise towers in Spryfield.

Universal Properties Incorporated and Hazelview Investments both own properties in the same area of Spryfield, at 30 Ridge Valley Road and 41 Cowie Hill Road, respectively.

Both properties already have apartment buildings on them, however, both can also fit much more development.

On Ridge Valley Road, Universal wants to build two more highrises to compliment the 12-storey tower already on the property. The new towers would be 16 and 10 storeys high and add close to 300 new housing units, and underground parking, to the property.

On Cowie Hill Road, Hazelview also wants to add two new towers, as well as upgrade the 11-storey building already there.

The developer plans to build an eight-storey and 17-storey tower, in two phases, that would eventually add about 180 residential units to the property.

Zzap Consulting is representing both developers to the city and, since their requests are so similar, council considered them together.

The hitch in both plans is the city’s zoning bylaws, which limit how dense development can be in the area.

The city’s new Centre Plan zoning rules don’t cover the properties. Instead, they fall under decades-old municipal planning strategy land-use bylaws.

While the developers’ plans don’t meet those standards, Zzap argues in a letter to the city that those rules are outdated and don’t reflect Halifax’s current development and housing landscape.

“The density limit imposed on these lands (75 persons per acre) are a relic leftover from a time where servicing capacity was limited in the area. Service capacity has vastly improved in this area since that policy came into force and is no longer an issue for this site,” the firm says.

Zzap points out that the buildings on both properties only take up a small fraction of the site area (7 percent on the Ridge Valley Road property and 11 percent at Crowie Hill Road) and that the developers’ plans are consistent with the planning direction the city is taking in the area.

City staff agreed. In a report to council, staff argued the plans make sense, especially since they create much-needed housing near transit and other services. The city wants to encourage this kind of infill development over the next few decades.

Council also didn’t appear to have any major objections to the plan. On May 31, councillors voted unanimously to start the process that will amend the bylaws and allow the projects to move forward.

“It’s important to get this out there in the housing crisis we’re in, hear what the community thinks about these developments, get some good feedback, and move on from there,” said Coun. Shawn Cleary.

Before any bylaw changes can be made, the city must go through a public engagement process. City staff also said the developers’ plans are still in the “concept and design” stage, so the buildings’ heights and general design could still change.

Trevor Nichols is the associate editor of Huddle, based in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].