The following was before Halifax Regional Council:
- Staff report dated May 16, 2025
- Correspondence from Mark Poirier, Kathleen Richardson, Stephen Drage, Stephen Adams, Cesar Saleh, Peggy Cameron, Kathleen Hall
- Handout dated June 10, 2025 on the watercourse development agreement
- Handout dated June 10, 2025 regarding housekeeping amendments
The following motion was on the floor from the June 3, 2025 meeting:
MOVED by Deputy Mayor Mancini, seconded by Councillor Cleary
THAT Halifax Regional Council give First Reading to consider:
a) Repeal of the existing 2014 Regional Municipal Planning Strategy, and approval of the proposed 2025 Regional Municipal Planning Strategy, as set out in Attachment B of the staff report dated May 16, 2025;
b) Repeal and re-adoption of the by-laws, policies, and provisions of the Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies and Land Use By-Laws (as amended) that were previously adopted to implement the 2014 Regional Plan as set out in Attachment C of the staff report dated May 16, 2025;
c) Approval of the proposed amendments to the Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies as set out in Attachment D of the staff report dated May 16, 2025;
d) Approval of the proposed amendments to the Land Use By-Laws, as set out in Attachment E of the staff report dated May 16, 2025;
e) Approval of the proposed amendments to the Regional Subdivision By-Law, as set out in Attachment F of the staff report dated May 16, 2025;
f) Approval of the proposed amendments to the Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies and Land Use By-Laws, as set out in Attachment G of the staff report dated May 16, 2025.
and schedule a public hearing.
Kate Greene, Director Regional & Community Planning responded to questions of clarification from Halifax Regional Council.
MOVED by Councillor Young, seconded by Councillor Gillis
THAT Halifax Regional Council rescind the amendment from the June 3, 2025 Halifax Regional Council meeting which requested a staff report as follows:
“THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the CAO to prepare a staff report and recommendation with respect to developing a Site-Specific Policy to include:
1. the lands north of Highway 101 at the Margeson Drive interchange within the Urban Settlement designation and Urban Service Area boundary; and
2. retain lands south of Highway 101 at the Margeson Drive interchange in Rural Commuter designation and consider for Water Service only.
Leah Perrin, Manager, Regional Planning responded to questions of clarification from Halifax Regional Council.
MOTION TO RESCIND PUT AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Not present: Councillor Hendsbee
MOVED by Councillor Kent, seconded by Councillor Hartling
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the CAO to consider the appropriate studies of the industrial and waterfront lands in Eastern Passage, known as the former Texaco Refinery/Valero Lands, as part of the Suburban Planning process.
MOTION PUT AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Perrin and Erin MacIntyre, Director, Current Planning responded to questions of clarification of clarification from Halifax Regional Council.
MOVED by Deputy Mayor Mancini, seconded by Councillor Morse
THAT item 1(a) of the motion be amended to add: “except to: In Attachment B, amend clause (a) of Policy IM-9(1) by:
1. deleting the words “and the requirements of all other municipal by-laws and regulations” and
2. insert the word “and” before the words “the applicable secondary”.”
Perrin responded to questions of clarification from Halifax Regional Council.
MOTION TO AMEND PUT AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Perrin responded to questions of clarification from the Halifax Regional Council.
MOVED by Councillor Morse, seconded by Councillor Cuttell
THAT item 1(a) of the motion be amended to add “except Policy EN-7 of Attachment B be amended to replace the first reference to "may" with "shall".”
John Traves, K.C., CD, Municipal Solicitor/Chief Governance Officer and Greene responded to questions of clarification from the Halifax Regional Council.
MOVED by Councillor Kent, seconded by Councillor Purdy
THAT Halifax Regional Council convene to In Camera (In Private) to discuss this amendments.
MOTION PUT AND PASSED.
Halifax Regional Council reconvened in public.
MOTION TO AMEND PUT AND PASSED. (9 in favour, 8 against)
In favour: Councillors Kent, Austin, White, Hinch, Morse, Cuttell, Hartling, Gillis, St-Amand
Against: Mayor Fillmore, Deputy Mayor Mancini, Councillors Deagle Gammon, Hendsbee, Purdy, Cleary, Steele, Young
Deputy Mayor Mancini proposed that item 1(a) of the motion be amended to clarify when the watercourse development agreement will apply as set out in the handout circulated.
MOVED by Deputy Mayor Mancini, seconded by Councillor Steele
THAT item 1(a) of the motion be amended to add: “except to:
Delete policies EN-43 and EN-53 and substitute them with the following:
EN-43 (1) Where the requirements for buffers for inland watercourses and wetlands prohibits development of the main use on a property, alternative approaches to the application of the buffer or a reduced buffer may be considered by development agreement, if a report by a water resources engineer or similar qualified professional is provided that identifies and recommends:
a) measures to minimize or remediate the impacts of any loss of existing vegetation or pervious surfaces;
b) measures that will be used to maintain water quality and limit downstream impacts of the development; and
c) stormwater management approaches or controls to manage stormwater, sedimentation or erosion on the site of the development.
(2) In considering a development agreement under Policy EN-43(1), the Municipality shall consider the following:
a) whether the proposed development agreement includes provisions to mitigate the impacts of development on the watercourse or wetland and its associated riparian area during and after construction. Measures to be considered include:
i. directing development away from lands that:
a. are subject to flooding or subsidence;
b. have steep slopes;
c. are low-lying, marshy or unstable;
d. are otherwise hazardous for development because of their soil conditions, geological conditions, undermining or topography; and
e. are located in an area where development is prohibited by a statement of Provincial interest or by an enactment of the Province;
ii. retaining or planting trees and vegetation for the purposes of sedimentation and erosion control;
iii. site design that manages stormwater flows in a way that mimics natural processes, such as the use of green infrastructure;
iv. limiting commercial or industrial uses within the buffer that involve the storage, manufacturing, or distribution of hazardous materials; and
v. limiting the placement of off-site fill; and
b) the provisions of IM-9.
EN-53 (1) For development on islands, or where it can be demonstrated that the requirements for buffers for properties along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean prohibits development of the main use on a property, alternative approaches to the application of the buffer or a reduced buffer may be considered by development agreement, if:
a) for development on islands or along the coast, a report by a professional engineer with an Infrastructure Resilience Professional designation is provided, identifying measures that will be used to mitigate risks of flood damage and public safety on the development site, including confirmation that the proposed development does not increase the risk or hazard for surrounding buildings, adjacent uses, adjacent coastlines or egress routes;
b) for islands:
i. where parking, access or other supporting infrastructure is to be located on privately owned lands not subject to the agreement, the required easements have been obtained from the property owners in favour of the lot to be developed and the supporting infrastructure is permitted by the applicable land use by-law on the lands on which it will be located; and
ii. the density of residential units on the site does not exceed 1 unit per 1.5 hectares. If the area of the island is less than 1.5 hectares, the density of residential units is limited to 1 residential unit.
(2) In considering a development agreement under Policy EN-53(1), the Municipality shall consider:
a) whether the proposed development agreement includes provisions to mitigate the impacts of development on the coastal area during and after construction. Measures to be considered include:
i. directing development away from lands that:
a. are subject to flooding or subsidence;
b. have steep slopes;
c. are low-lying, marshy or unstable;
d. are otherwise hazardous for development because of their soil conditions, geological conditions, undermining or topography; and
e. are located in an area where development is prohibited by a statement of Provincial interest or by an enactment of the Province;
ii. retaining or planting trees and vegetation for the purposes of sedimentation and erosion control, where appropriate;
iii. site design that manages stormwater flows in a way that mimics natural processes, such as the use of green infrastructure;
iv. limiting coastal armouring such as retaining walls or armour stone;
v. limiting commercial or industrial uses within the buffer that involve the storage, manufacturing, or distribution of hazardous materials; and
b) the provisions of IM-9.
Perrin responded to questions of clarification from Halifax Regional Council.
MOTION TO AMEND PUT AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOVED by Councillor Hendsbee, seconded by Councillor Kent
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the CAO to prepare a staff report exploring options with respect to the requirements for the subdivision of lots with adequate frontage on private roads.
MOTION PUT AND PASSED. (16 in favour, 1 against)
In favour: Mayor Fillmore, Deputy Mayor Mancini, Councillors Deagle Gammon, Hendsbee, Kent, Purdy, White, Hinch, Cleary, Morse, Cuttell, Steele, Hartling, Young, Gillis, St-Amand
Against: Councillor Austin
MOVED by Councillor Kent, seconded by Councillor Hartling
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to consider an amendment to the Eastern Passage / Cow Bay Municipal Planning Strategy and its Land Use By-law to enable multiple unit dwelling larger than 12 units on PID 00471698, in addition to the sites moved by Council on February 11, 2025, and follow public participation process set out in Section 6 of the Public Participation Administrative Order.
Perrin responded to questions of clarification from Halifax Regional Council.
MOTION PUT AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOVED by Councillor Morse, seconded by Councillor Steele
1. THAT motion 8 (a) is amended by deleting “meters” and replacing it with “m” so it reads “Deleting the text “25 m in height” and replacing it with the text “9 storeys” after the text “exceeds” and before the text “shall be” in Policy 2A.7”
2. That item 1(g) of the motion be amended to add after section 19 of Attachment G-9 “except to:
20. Deleting the text “25 m” and replacing it with the text “9 storeys” after the text “more than” and before the text “shall be” in clause 70(f);
(f) Any building in Area A on ZM-28 that has a height of more than 25m 9 storeys shall be considered a high-rise and may be permitted by a development agreement process, in accordance with Policies 2A.7 and 2A.7.1
Perrin responded to questions of clarification from Halifax Regional Council.
MOTION TO AMEND PUT AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Deputy Mayor Mancini proposed that the motion be amended for housekeeping amendments as set out in the handout circulated.
MOVED by Deputy Mayor Mancini, seconded by Councillor Steele
1. THAT item 1(f) of the motion be amended to add “except to:
a. in Attachment G-5, delete the words “13. Repealing and replacing “SCHEDULE AF” after “SCHEDULE AD”, as shown as Schedule G-5A, attached hereto.”; and
b. Delete Schedule G-5: Dartmouth Land Use By-Law.”
2. That item 1(b) of the motion be amended to add: “except to amend Attachment C-40
(a) by striking out "CEN-1" in clauses 3(b) and (g);
(b) by repealing clauses 3(c) and (h);
(c) by striking out "of the rows “Cannabis lounge use” and “Cannabis retail sales use" in clauses 5(b) and (g);
(d) by striking out "Adding" and replacing it with "Repealing" in clause 5(d);
(e) by striking out "CEN-1, COR, HR-2, and HR-1" and replacing it with "and COR" in clauses 5(d) and (i);
(f) by repealing clause 8(b) and (c);
(g) by repealing clause 8(f) and replace it with the following:
(e) Repealing Footnote 15 in the columns ER-2 and ER-1 in the row “Short-term bedroom rentals;
(f) Adding a new row “Short-term bedroom rental use” above the row “Home occupation use”;
(h) by repealing clauses 8(g), 8(h), 9(c), 9(g), 12(b), 12(e), 13(d), 13(i), 16(b), 16(e), 17(c), and 17(g);
(i) by striking out "Adding" in clause 17(d) and replacing it with "Repealing"; and
(j) by striking out "Striking out the text" in clause 22(c).”
3. That item 1(b) of the motion be amended to add “except to amend section 44 of Attachment C-10 by striking out ‘Multiple dwellings 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit’ and replacing it with ‘Multiple dwellings 0.33 spaces per dwelling’ as they appear twice”.
4. That item 1(b) of the motion be amended to add “except to repeal section 32 of Attachment C-16 as it appears the second time.
5. That item 1(b) of the motion be amended to add “except to repeal section 4 of Attachment C-42 as it appears the first time and to amend section 4 of the Attachment as it appears the second time by striking out ‘Diagram 12’ and replacing it with ‘Diagram 13’”.
6. That item 1(f) of the motion be amended to add “except to amend section 4 of Attachment G-4 by bolding the text ‘(d) Notwithstanding subsections (a), (b), and (c), there shall be no required parking for residential uses within the Urban Service Area.’”.
MOTION TO AMEND PUT AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOVED by Councillor White, seconded by Councillor Cleary
THAT item 1(a) of the motion be amended to add “except policy RP-28 be amended to add the following after clause (f):
“(fa) maintaining or reducing the number of car trips taken as the municipality's population grows;”
Greene responded to questions of clarification from Halifax Regional Council.
MOTION TO AMEND PUT AND DEFEATED. (8 in favour, 9 against)
In favour: Deputy Mayor Mancini, Councillors Deagle Gammon, Austin, White, Hinch, Cleary, Morse, Hartling
Against: Mayor Fillmore, Councillors Hendsbee, Kent, Purdy, Cuttell, Steele, Young, Gillis, St-Amand
Perrin and Iain MacLean, Municipal Clerk responded to questions of clarification from Halifax Regional Council.
The question was called on the main motion:
MOVED by Deputy Mayor Mancini, seconded by Councillor Cleary
THAT Halifax Regional Council give First Reading to consider:
a) Repeal of the existing 2014 Regional Municipal Planning Strategy, and approval of the proposed 2025 Regional Municipal Planning Strategy, as set out in Attachment B of the staff report dated May 16, 2025 as amended;
b) Repeal and re-adoption of the by-laws, policies, and provisions of the Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies and Land Use By-Laws (as amended) that were previously adopted to implement the 2014 Regional Plan as set out in Attachment C of the staff report dated May 16, 2025 as amended;
c) Approval of the proposed amendments to the Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies as set out in Attachment D of the staff report dated May 16, 2025 as amended;
d) Approval of the proposed amendments to the Land Use By-Laws, as set out in Attachment E of the staff report dated May 16, 2025 as amended;
e) Approval of the proposed amendments to the Regional Subdivision By-Law, as set out in Attachment F of the staff report dated May 16, 2025 as amended;
f) Approval of the proposed amendments to the Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies and Land Use By-Laws, as set out in Attachment G of the staff report dated May 16, 2025 as amended.
and schedule a public hearing.
MOTION AS AMENDED PUT AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOVED by Deputy Mayor Mancini, seconded by Councillor Hinch
THAT Halifax Regional Council:
1. Waive section 17 of Administrative Order One, requiring a staff report from the Chief Administrative Officer;
2. Waive Appendix A Section 4 (2) and (4) of Administrative Order One, regarding written submissions; and
3. Commence the Regional Plan Phase 4 Public Hearing at 1:00 p.m. on June 19, 2025 and require that written submissions must be received by the Clerk’s Office by 10:00 a.m. on June 19, 2025 and that all submissions received by the deadline will be distributed by the Clerk to Council.
MOTION PUT AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.