March 9, 2020 Halifax Peninsula Planning Advisory Committee

Date:

Time: 4:30 p.m.

Location: Halifax Hall, Main Floor City Hall, 1841 Argyle St., Halifax

Agenda

REVISED

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – November 5, 2019

4. APPROVAL OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS AND APPROVAL OF ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS

5. BUSINESS ARISING OUT OF THE MINUTES

6. CALL FOR DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

7. CONSIDERATION OF DEFERRED BUSINESS – NONE

8. CORRESPONDENCE, PETITIONS & DELEGATIONS - NONE
8.1 Correspondence
8.2 Petitions

9. INFORMATION ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD – NONE

10. REPORTS/DISCUSSION

10.1 STAFF

10.1.1 Planning Advisory Committees Orientation [PDF]

10.1.2 Proposed 2020 Halifax Peninsula Planning Advisory Committee Meeting Schedule [PDF]

Motion:
That the proposed 2020 Meeting Schedule of the Halifax Peninsula Planning Advisory Committee be approved as presented in the staff report dated March 3, 2020.

10.1.3 Case 22682: Application requesting a Municipal Planning Strategy amendment and non-substantive amendment to an existing development agreement on lands at 5558 Bilby Street (PID no. 00161406), Halifax to allow an extension to the date of commencement of construction by two years. [PDF]

The major aspects of the proposal are as follows:

• Designated Major Commercial under the Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy, Peninsula North Secondary Plan, Sub Area 5;
• Currently zoned C-2 under the Halifax Peninsula Land Use By-law; Schedule Q;
• Existing and an amending Development Agreement enable a 7 storey, 71 unit apartment building (64 apartment units, 7 “live-work” units);
• The existing development agreement requires construction to be commenced five years after the date of registration of the agreement, which occurred July 6, 2018. A two year extension (July 6, 2020) to the commencement date in the development agreement is required - “Commencement” is defined in the agreement as “installation of the footings and foundations”. The rationale for the time extension is due to unforeseen contaminated soils which were required to be removed before starting construction. The environmental remediation was completed in August 2019, which exceeded the five-year commencement date in the agreement.
• The Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) policy (Schedule Q) which enabled the development agreements was removed in 2019 with the adoption of the Centre Plan Package A, and therefore an MPS amendment is required to enable a non-substantive amendment to the agreement allow for an extension to the commencement dates in the existing agreement. No changes to the building design are proposed.
• This application was initiated at Halifax Regional Council by Councillor Lindell Smith on January 14, 2020.

Policies 2.3, 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.3, and 2.4 (Schedule Q policies) which enabled this development have been repealed from the Halifax MPS: “Repealed (RC-Sep 18/19;E-Nov 30/19)”. This application did not come in prior to the effective date of the policy change. As such, an MPS and possible LUB amendment are required along with a non-substantive DA amendment. MPS policy will be drafted and will be site specific as per the motion put forth by Councillor Lindell Smith. In preparing a recommendation to the Halifax and West Community Council, the Committee is being asked to make note of any potential issues Council should be aware of in considering such policy change to allow a time extension.

The following documents are before the Committee:

Application [PDF]

Original Development Agreement [PDF]

https://www.halifax.ca/business/planning-development/applications/case-22682-5558-bilby-street-halifax

Information at the above link will be updated as required. For a copy of the materials presented to the Planning Advisory Committee, please contact the Clerk’s Office.

10.1.4 Case 22523: Application by Breakhouse Architecture for non-substantive amendments to an existing development agreement for an 8-storey mixed use building at the corner of Bilby Street and Gottingen Street, Halifax (PIDs 00127522, 00127530, 00127548, and 00127555). [PDF]

The major aspects of the proposal are as follows:

• Designated Corridor under the Regional Centre Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy and a portion of the site at the rear is designated Major Commercial under the Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy;
• Zoned COR under the Regional Centre Land Use By-Law and a portion at the rear of the site is zoned C-2 under the Halifax Peninsula Land Use By-law;
• The original development agreement enabled a 7 storey mixed-use building, and substantive amendment to the agreement in 2017 enabled an 8 storey mixed-use building;
• The applicant now wishes to make the following non-substantive amendments to the existing development agreement:
    • Increase in overall building height (interior floor to floor height changes - not additional building stories)
    • Changes to building cladding materials, and to the articulation of fenestration (windows) and balconies;
    • Change in unit count (from 63 to 70), and provisions to require more 2+ bedroom units; and
    • Increase in interior and exterior amenity spaces.

Policy 2.3.3 of the Halifax MPS enables agreements for mixed-use developments over four units pursuant to policies 2.3.1 and 2.3.2 (areas that will benefit from comprehensive site planning; agreements for missed res-commercial over four units), and feedback is sought relative to the application. In preparing a recommendation to the Halifax and West Community Council, the Committee is being asked to assess potential impact on the community, specifically:
• Mitigation of impacts on the adjacent properties through effective urban design and landscape treatment;
• Creation of high quality design at street level (building entrances, landscaping, etc) and high quality exterior construction materials;
• High quality open space and leisure areas for the residents; and
• Any other applicable relevant land use impacts.

** NOTE* This application was submitted prior to the removal of Policies 2.3, 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.3, and 2.4 (Schedule Q policies) from the Halifax MPS: Repealed (RC-Sep 18/19;E-Nov 30/19) **

The following documents are before the Committee:
Revised Design [PDF]
Revised Traffic Impact Study [PDF]

https://www.halifax.ca/business/planning-development/applications/case-22523-bilby-gottingen-macara-streets-halifax

Information at the above link will be updated as required. For a copy of the materials presented to the Planning Advisory Committee, please contact the Clerk’s Office.

10.1.5 Case 22624: Application by J.Thibault for a development agreement to convert an existing non-conforming commercial unit to a residential unit, resulting in a 5 unit residential building at 2322-24 Hunter Street, Halifax. [PDF]

The major aspects of the proposal are as follows:

• Designated Medium Density Residential under the Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy;
• Currently zoned R-2 under the Halifax Peninsula Land Use By-law, and the existing commercial unit is legal non-conforming;
• The applicant wishes to convert the commercial unit to a residential unit, creating a 5-unit residential building in total. The major aspects of the proposal are as follows:
    • Existing 2-storey building with 4 residential units and one legal non-conforming commercial unit;
    • Existing residential units are two 1-bedroom apartments, one 2-bedroom apartment, and one 6-bedroom apartment;
    • Existing commercial use is a camera repair shop, and is 1152 square feet over two floors (ground floor and     basement);
    • Proposal is to convert the commercial space to a 3-bedroom residential apartment with no changes to building     height or massing.

Implementation Policy 3.14 enables agreements to permit a non-conforming use to be changed to another less intensive non-conforming use, and feedback is sought relative to the application. In preparing a recommendation to the Halifax and West Community Council, the Committee is being asked to assess potential impact on the community, specifically:
    • Layout and design of property is complimentary to the fabric of the neighborhood in terms of:
        o primary and secondary entrances to the building;
        o Architectural design; and
        o Vehicular parking designed to not adversely affect the neighborhood causing nuisance.

The following documents are before the Committee:
Application [PDF]
Planning Rationale [PDF]
Site Plan [PDF]

https://www.halifax.ca/business/planning-development/applications/case-22624-2322-24-hunter-street-halifax

Information at the above link will be updated as required. For a copy of the materials presented to the Planning Advisory Committee, please contact the Clerk’s Office.

11. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR

12. ADDED ITEMS

13. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – April 27, 2020

14. ADJOURNMENT

INFORMATION ITEMS – NONE