Quote:
Originally Posted by halifaxboyns
I looked at the member list for the PAC; I don't recognize anyone as being leaning towards one side or the other. The PAC was asked for an opinion - they gave it. That is their role in the planning system. They aren't a decision making body - they merely give an opinion. Now if it was a planning commission, that's another story...
Council will consider their opinion (the PAC) along with the others at the public hearing (because even if staff recommends against the DA, I suspect Council will still want a public hearing). This isn't like Skye where the made the decision not even to bother seeking public opinion, they wanted HbD to stand as it was and did not overturn the staff recommendation. For a project this small, I suspect they'd seek public feedback at a hearing...
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On this District Planning Committee? There are a few people on there that shouldn't be taken seriously.
These District PACs are a joke. There seems to be no logic or process for who ends up on these committees.
Most importantly, there is absolutely no accountability or transparency.
Here's the HRM site for this PAC:
http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/D78PAC/
First off, the minutes I find are overly vague. Often there is no record of who raised what question or issue. They do keep track of non-PAC members, but not what "concern" was raised by what specific member of the PAC.
Second, the committee does not record votes. I would like to see a vote count. This isn't secret ballot. Each member should be counted. I want to see who is voting against these developments and who is voting for it.
In the end, these PACs may not have decision making power, but they're really important because they purport to represent the "voice" of the local community, which gives Council or the HRM planning staff "cover" to reject a proposal if they're looking for it.
Of course, we all know that it's total BS that these PACs represent the neighbourhood. No, they represent the deeply conservative establishment, which, for the last 30 years, has opposed any kind of change, development, least of all densification.