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Infilled eyesore getting facelift
Halifax News Net
BEDFORD
By Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News

Anyone passing by the Bedford Highway near the Moirs Pond/Sobeys Plaza area recently will notice the infill area is looking a bit greener and more “finished.”
The bleak landscape had been described in the past as a “moonscape” by some residents, but the Waterfront Development Corporation is working hard to change that.
Eric Burchell, the corporation’s director of planning and development, said this is the next phase of the expansion of the Bedford Harbourwalk. The boardwalk is being built from the terminus at Waterfront Drive to the South Jetty.
Easy access
“It will have look-offs, benches, standard trail amenities, and it will be paved,” Burchell said, noting the walkway will allow the public to more easily access the popular recreational walking area during the winter months.
The activity taking place for the next two or three weeks involves visually improving the surrounding environment.
Burchell said the project is running on schedule.
“We can’t have lawns that need to be mowed, so we decided to go with hydro seeding with a wildflower component,” Burchell said. “It will grow up as a natural grassland with wildflowers in it. It’s a low maintenance option, but one that’s nice for people to look at rather than the rock.”
The wildflowers are expected to be in bloom by the spring.
“It’s like when you’re renovating a home, things look worse before they get better, and most people are telling me it’s nice to see something happening,” said Bedford Coun. Tim Outhit. “It’s been a bit of an eyesore, but people are excited about what’s happening and where it’s going. It’s a big improvement, no question.”
Three options
Bedford’s Waterfront Visioning Implementation Committee unveiled a consultant’s design study of the Bedford waterfront on June 10. Cost-shared by HRM and the Waterfront Development Corporation, it included a design brief with three alternative design options that were presented to the public at that June meeting.
Outhit said the next step in Bedford’s waterfront implementation involves a public hearing to be held some time next month. At that meeting, residents will be presented with a “hybrid” of those three plans, based in part on public feedback.
The ultimate goal is the establishment of a master plan for Bedford’s waterfront.

ydentremont@hfxnews.ca