Height for future downtown Dartmouth development discussed
Posted Jan 14, 2014 06:45:50 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
About 100 politicians, builders, stakeholders and interested citizens discussed the future of building heights in downtown Dartmouth Monday night.
Those who attended the meeting were asked questions like what built form requirements are appropriate and what approval process is most appropriate?
Those questions were asked with the goal of getting people to think about three options which were presented: one that sets the limit at 70 feet with options for more on opportunity sites; one that gives approval on a case-by-case basis; and one that sets out distinct height precincts.
Right now, as-of-right regulations allow for three story buildings on the waterfront and five stories in the business district, meaning the business district limit is 70 feet, the waterfront is 45 feet and residential is 30 feet.
While not everyone agreed which option was the best, everyone was on the same page that standards need to be set and followed.
Executive Director of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission Tim Resesco tells News 95.7 it’s about finding balance.
“Some people are interested in building some higher buildings and some people want to protect the nature of the neighbourhoods and I think we’ll arrive at a good compromise between those two goals,” he predicts. “The value proposition just isn’t there for the landowner or for a developer to build right now, so they need to be able to build a little bit more than five stories but I don’t know how much is too much.”
But Dartmouth South MLA Alan Rowe says he got a sense that people didn’t feel they had enough information to make an informed decision.
“I think it would be unfair for anyone to suggest that people are opposed, or pro-development or high rise or low rise,” he explains, “What they are saying is what we need is a little more information to try and weigh in with an opinion with the limited amount of information that is here on such short notice.”
City staff will take your feedback online for six weeks, with the intention of presenting it to council in the next three to four months.
