General Updates and News

[Hali87]

I don't think that the Mi'kmaq Native Friendship Centre and the Assembly of NS Mi'kmaq Chiefs are the same thing. I'm sure they are related organizations but I wouldn't assume that space that is offered to one is automatically available to the other.

[xanaxanax]

Originally Posted by Hali87

I don't think that the Mi'kmaq Native Friendship Centre and the Assembly of NS Mi'kmaq Chiefs are the same thing. I'm sure they are related organizations but I wouldn't assume that space that is offered to one is automatically available to the other.

I think its information worth knowing. If the Mi'kmaq Native Friendship Centre can operate out Assembly of NS Mi'kmaq space at the old Public Library than their stance for the St. Pat’s Alexandra site has always been a little ridiculous. Why wouldn't you have a community centre for Mi'kmaq in the Library if the ownership is passed to them, it has the perfect setup for one. At the very least the City and these two groups should be having a discussion on what can be accommodated together in this space.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Because these groups are like their clientele. They always have their hand out to govt for anything they can take.

I'm glad the reco is to sell the property. That's what should have happened in the first place if the good Rev. Britten hadn't had a tantrum way back when. I hope Joe Metledge is awarded many millions of dollars and the city then goes after those responsible for this debacle. Or maybe Mr. Butts figures the only way to offset the inevitable court award is to sell it.

Metlej doesn't have a chance of winning. The judge also tossed his bid, saying that the property was not sold at market value because Metlej was willing to pay an amount more than any other bid. It's just a nuisance suit. When you sign an agreement with a person or a body you are supposed to ensure that they have the legal capacity to conclude the transaction. This was one of several cases where staff have played "Damn the torpedos, full steam ahead"

Lotuspoint is another example where staff deliberately ignored the legal opinion from Heritage Trust at the HAC meeting and then when a date for the public hearing was set the lawyer for Heritage Trust sent the same opinion on the day of the hearing and advised that they would advise their client to pursue legal action if the requirements of legislation and policies were not followed. Faced with the letter the staff rushed to change their report and then presented their revised recommendation at the hearing. The developer is now required to follow the legislation and the project will have to be returned to HAC, it was not on the agenda for the May 7 HAC meeting.
The community council went ahead and held a hearing into a recommendation that was not the one that had been advertised. The architect was less than truthful in his application.
The law is our friend.

[xanaxanax]

The court of appeal ruling is in the next couple of weeks, it will be interesting if anything changes

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Colin May

The law is our friend.

And obstructionists like the Heritage Trust are the enemy to us ever getting out of the ditch.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Colin May

Metlej doesn't have a chance of winning. The judge also tossed his bid, saying that the property was not sold at market value because Metlej was willing to pay an amount more than any other bid. It's just a nuisance suit. When you sign an agreement with a person or a body you are supposed to ensure that they have the legal capacity to conclude the transaction. This was one of several cases where staff have played "Damn the torpedos, full steam ahead"

Well, sounds like court has an unusual conception of FMV. It is not crystallized; it changes, sometimes quickly.

The best approximation of FMV, is what a person, at arm's length, is willing to pay for an item.

If one party is willing to "pay more" than any other bid, than that would seem to suggest a FMV higher than any current bids; whatever, in the end, that party pays (and is not subsequently bid up by anyone else) is the best estimate of FMV.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

I would have liked to see the community bid.

From the staff report, it sounds as though it is well thought out, that staff acknowledge the need exists, and the proponents are capable of delivering.

The issue is financing. There seems to be alot of borrowed money in this proposal, and Im not sure how confident their revenue projections could be. I also question the wisdom of a community group essentially offering 100% financing on 30% to be available for first- time home buyers, who would be eligible for a 20% down payment repayable loan

EDIT:
The proposal is available online
http://ournorthend.ca/img/nccc-spas-submission.pdf

Quote from Proposal:

"....local arts group and other non-profit organizations have faced a shrinking supply of reasonably-priced rental space in peninsular Halifax..."

Uhm. Whut?

Vacancy rates for office rental have never been higher on the peninsula.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by xanaxanax

I think its information worth knowing. If the Mi'kmaq Native Friendship Centre can operate out Assembly of NS Mi'kmaq space at the old Public Library than their stance for the St. Pat’s Alexandra site has always been a little ridiculous. Why wouldn't you have a community centre for Mi'kmaq in the Library if the ownership is passed to them, it has the perfect setup for one. At the very least the City and these two groups should be having a discussion on what can be accommodated together in this space.

Speaking of which, what the hell is going on with the Old Spring Garden library?

That spot has so much potential. Why didn't we think bigger; create a multi-use public / private development, with space for Mi'kmaq Government, but also for other forms of public spaces--- maybe a large public square-- with also some room for businesses, big or small, street level merchant huts for a neat market style strip, etc.

That is now a space at the heart of the most vibrant area of downtown, linking the past and future of that core-- Barrington and Spring Garden-- and all signs now seem to point to it sitting there, collecting dust, for years and years.

[xanaxanax]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Speaking of which, what the hell is going on with the Old Spring Garden library?

That spot has so much potential. Why didn't we think bigger; create a multi-use public / private development, with space for Mi'kmaq Government, but also for other forms of public spaces--- maybe a large public square-- with also some room for businesses, big or small, street level merchant huts for a neat market style strip, etc.

That is now a space at the heart of the most vibrant area of downtown, linking the past and future of that core-- Barrington and Spring Garden-- and all signs now seem to point to it sitting there, collecting dust, for years and years.

Well if they turn it into a Mi'kmaq culutre museum that's kind of a big deal and will add a lot to the city imo that decision is coming in june if they want to use it for that. I hope they mean culture history museum anways when they say culture place for them.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Well, sounds like court has an unusual conception of FMV. It is not crystallized; it changes, sometimes quickly.

The best approximation of FMV, is what a person, at arm's length, is willing to pay for an item.

If one party is willing to "pay more" than any other bid, than that would seem to suggest a FMV higher than any current bids; whatever, in the end, that party pays (and is not subsequently bid up by anyone else) is the best estimate of FMV.

The decision by Justice MacAdam, a Conservative, is easy to find and is based on decisions in previous cases. It deals with procedural fairness and FMV. The argument by the plaintiffs re 'procedural fairness' was a slam dunk.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

And obstructionists like the Heritage Trust are the enemy to us ever getting out of the ditch.

'The enemy to us ever getting out of the ditch' are the incompetent planning staff and the legal staff.

Read the UARB decisions and the documents in the Monaco case and the Lawen appeal of the approval of the CanEuro tower.( I have the documents) The planners are named and shamed. It is embarrassing to see professional planners so comprehensively cut to shreds by their peers, one of whom was a former Director of Planning of the City of Dartmouth.
Any reasonable person reviewing the four issues would question what is going on at city hall.
What do you think of a planner who handles an application and after reviewing all the documents believes the project is adjacent to a two way street when the street is, and always has been, a heavily travelled, one way street ?
A 10 minute walk from his office to the property would have made him aware of the property, its surroundings and the one way street.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Colin May

'The enemy to us ever getting out of the ditch' are the incompetent planning staff and the legal staff.

Read the UARB decisions and the documents in the Monaco case and the Lawen appeal of the approval of the CanEuro tower.( I have the documents) The planners are named and shamed. It is embarrassing to see professional planners so comprehensively cut to shreds by their peers, one of whom was a former Director of Planning of the City of Dartmouth.
Any reasonable person reviewing the four issues would question what is going on at city hall.
What do you think of a planner who handles an application and after reviewing all the documents believes the project is adjacent to a two way street when the street is, and always has been, a heavily travelled, one way street ?
A 10 minute walk from his office to the property would have made him aware of the property, its surroundings and the one way street.

I'm no fan of the HRM planning staff for many reasons, often because they, like any bureaucracy, take the path of least resistance on on planning issues. Sometimes that might mean quickly flipping a property and ignoring community input (St. Pats) but most often, it involves resistance to substantial changes in how the city plans, and how it might change directions to improve planning overall, including deferring to small groups of loudmouth but well funded and/or connected lobbyists.

That said, I do think HRM planners suffer from workload issues; a blatant error like that suggests as much. I mean, it took HRM years to hire a new head planner (that guy who was fired in Saskatchewan for being too urbanist or something)

[bluenoser]

The canal daylighting between Sullivan's Pond and the Harbour is getting back underway:

Shubenacadie Canal excavation starts this summer
Project stalled for seven years, but restoration should be done by 2015
CBC News Posted: May 09, 2014 2:38 PM AT Last Updated: May 09, 2014 2:38 PM AT


A rendering of what the rebuilt Shubenacadie Canal site will look like next year. (Courtesy HRM) - Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...-excavation-starts-this-summer-1.2637619

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...-excavation-starts-this-summer-1.2637619

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

CTV News is doing a story tonight on the Deplorable condition of the Ralston Building... they stopped me on the street to ask what I thought.

Here is a link to the CTV story:
http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/downtown-hali...ety-concerns-among-pedestrians-1.1813151

There's not really much of substance there, including the usual pap from the Kevin Lacey, self-appointed champion of taxpayers everywhere, though I don't recall ever voting for him.

The Ralston Building, despite millions in renovations from 1999-2001, is crumbling. The CTV story doesn't mention that the building will be vacant within the next year. There's very little doubt in my mind that it will be demolished after that; it will require many millons more to restore. (A federal official has told me the land will be worth more with the building removed.)

In the meantime, those now working in the Ralston are facing several months of blasting through the bedrock next door. It will not be pleasant. Those working on the building's lower floors felt every blast on the Nova Centre site four blocks away. The fear that the Ralston will suffer further damage as a result of the Maple excavation is, I believe, quite valid.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

I'm no fan of the HRM planning staff for many reasons, often because they, like any bureaucracy, take the path of least resistance on on planning issues. Sometimes that might mean quickly flipping a property and ignoring community input (St. Pats) but most often, it involves resistance to substantial changes in how the city plans, and how it might change directions to improve planning overall, including deferring to small groups of loudmouth but well funded and/or connected lobbyists.

That said, I do think HRM planners suffer from workload issues; a blatant error like that suggests as much. I mean, it took HRM years to hire a new head planner (that guy who was fired in Saskatchewan for being too urbanist or something)

I also think they are overworked. I think they feel pressured by senior staff, sections of the community and the council to approve almost anything. The details of the 4 issues I mentioned have never been given adequate media attention, and I doubt members of council have ever explored the decisions.
I believe some of the grandfathered approvals outside the urban core and detailed in RP+5 should be scrapped, but that is a political minefield.
The mistakes would not occur if the legal staff were more forceful in explaining the law rather than taking their cues from Butts and or council.
I strongly believe the solicitor should report directly to council and thus be free of any influence of a CAO - the normal situation in many Canadian cities.

[xanaxanax]

Does anyone know what used to be on the corner of Hollis and South, some building that burnt down years ago, I'm surprised the owner never rebuilt anything in its place, its just been a fenced off dirt lot for years that I can't even recall what it used to be.

[xanaxanax]

Originally Posted by xanaxanax

Does anyone know what used to be on the corner of Hollis and South, some building that burnt down years ago, I'm surprised the owner never rebuilt anything in its place, its just been a fenced off dirt lot for years that I can't even recall what it used to be.

Alright I found out what it was and found there was a height limit increase proposal for it over a year ago, does anyone know if that went through? I'm still surprised theres never been a proposal to build something new there http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...ight-limit-increase-considered-1.1334253

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Colin May

I also think they are overworked. I think they feel pressured by senior staff, sections of the community and the council to approve almost anything. The details of the 4 issues I mentioned have never been given adequate media attention, and I doubt members of council have ever explored the decisions.
I believe some of the grandfathered approvals outside the urban core and detailed in RP+5 should be scrapped, but that is a political minefield.
The mistakes would not occur if the legal staff were more forceful in explaining the law rather than taking their cues from Butts and or council.
I strongly believe the solicitor should report directly to council and thus be free of any influence of a CAO - the normal situation in many Canadian cities.

Exactly. The RP+5 original and newer draft are both a disaster, both in text and in the result. Planning staff essentially would prefer community groups and urbanist stakeholders to shut up, so they can continue with the sprawl planning (because it's really easy... sprawl planning is no planning and less work). Good planning is hard work. So an overworked planning staff is going to lead to bad planning. Period.

I totally agree that a bunch of crappy previously approved sprawl developments should be scrapped, and HRM double down on intensifying peninsular residential densification and ending the perpetual sprawl.

Here is what RP+5 should do:

• Immediate moratorium on any more office and commercial space development outside the core for 10 years. Just like London, Ontario.
  
  
• Dartmouth Crossing should be frozen. Period. Re-zone half that garbage pit into urban forest and block any new residential, retail, or commercial space development. Industrial development could be allowed on specific application.
  
  
• Similar for Burnside -- no more sprawl expansiveness, stealing office tenants from downtown by sprawl crap.
  
  
• Immediate moratorium on any more HRM land sales for residential sprawl development for decades until reserve lands used.
  
  
• Could also follow Ottawa, which placed a moratorium on downtown development charges in 1994 to incentivize more residential development in Ottawa's core. This, too, was a success, attracting 1,100 new people to the core.
  
  

We should be making significant policy moves like this.

[MeEtc]

Originally Posted by xanaxanax

Does anyone know what used to be on the corner of Hollis and South, some building that burnt down years ago, I'm surprised the owner never rebuilt anything in its place, its just been a fenced off dirt lot for years that I can't even recall what it used to be.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.640261,-6...3m4!1e1!3m2!1sfMF1Ja5Szov5qivjMP53yA!2e0

There's the building, I don't remember what was inside.

[teddifax]

Originally Posted by MeEtc

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.640261,-6...3m4!1e1!3m2!1sfMF1Ja5Szov5qivjMP53yA!2e0

There's the building, I don't remember what was inside.

Café Chianti was there and at one time there was a shoe store in this block as well. There were residences above the ground floor retail.