Updated:
FEBRUARY 11, 2025
NOTICE OF APPROVAL
NORTH WEST COMMUNITY COUNCIL
On February 10, 2025, North West Community Council approved the application by Upland Studio for substantive amendments to an existing development agreement for lands at 70-80 First Lake Drive, Lower Sackville, to allow for two 6-storey residential buildings on a shared podium and a new commercial building.
Request
Application by Upland Studio requesting substantive amendments to an existing development agreement for lands at 70-80 First Lake Drive, Lower Sackville, to allow for two 6-storey residential buildings on a shared podium and a new commercial building.
Proposal
In 2011, North West Community Council approved a development agreement to permit the establishment of new commercial uses in excess of the maximum permitted size in the community commercial zone on the subject property, pursuant to Policies CC-3 and IM-13 of Sackville Municipal Planning Strategy. The agreement was amended in 2016 to allow for liquor sales on site.
The existing development agreement sets requirements related to the permitted land uses, sitting and architectural requirements of the building, landscaping, parking, circulation, and access. It currently permits a maximum building height of 10.7m (35feet) and 25% maximum lot coverage.
The applicant wishes to re-develop the property by removing a commercial building on the site and adding two 6-storey multiple unit dwellings on a shared podium and a commercial building. Policy CC-6 of the Municipal Planning Strategy for Sackville enables multiple unit dwellings to be considered by Council through a development agreement process.
The proposed development includes the following:
- Maintaining the current permitted uses, which are uses permitted within the existing C-2 (Community Commercial) Zone of the Sackville Land Use By-law, except for entertainment uses.
- Three buildings to remain as they are, the Sobeys building, the Staples building, and the Time Horton’s building.
- The demolition of the commercial space at the rear of the Sobeys building.
- Two 6-storey residential multiple unit buildings on a shared podium, containing approx. 154 units.
- A new commercial building located near the Sobeys building.
- A network of pedestrian walkways through the site and improved landscaping.
The development plans provided below outline the development proposal in detail, and include information related to driveway access, parking locations, pedestrian and vehicular circulation, building massing and elevations, landscaping and other design details.
The applicant previously proposed to re-develop the property by adding three (3) multiple unit dwellings ranging in height from 6 to 22 storeys, with ground floor commercial and office space. However, the enabling policies of the Sackville Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy do not contemplate such an increase in density and a development of this size. The application has been revised to include only the two 6-storey multiple unit dwellings on a shared podium and a new drive-through commercial building.
The property owner has requested the remainder of the site be re-examined via the comprehensive planning process known as the Suburban Plan. The Suburban Plan will be a new planning document that will guide change and development in suburban communities (areas with piped water and sewer outside the Regional Centre). For more information on the Suburban Plan and it’s planning process, please visit the Regional Plan Review website: https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/regional-plan.
Process
The application will be considered under the Substantive Amendments to a Development Agreement process.
Status
TAKE NOTICE THAT North West Community Council did, on Monday, February 10, 2025, approve the following:
PLANAPP 2023-00368 - Application by Upland Studio requesting substantive amendments to an existing development agreement for lands at 70-80 First Lake Drive, Lower Sackville, to allow for two 6-storey residential buildings on a shared podium and a new commercial building.
Any aggrieved person, the Provincial Director of Planning, or the Council of any adjoining municipality may, within fourteen days of the publishing of this notice on the HRM website, appeal to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (902.424.4448), in accordance with the provisions of the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter.
This notice was posted to this site on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, in accordance with the requirements of the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter.
Documents Submitted for Evaluation
The applicant has submitted plans and studies required by HRM staff to properly evaluate the application. The relevant documents are linked below but may also be provided via email or regular mail by making a request to the planner listed below:
Contact Information
For further information, please contact:
Mailing Address
HRM Planning Applications
PO Box: 1749,
Halifax,
Nova Scotia,
B3J 3A5
Attention: Dean MacDougall (Please identify the Case #24508 and address)