[Takeo]

WOW! Morris Street, City Centre Atlantic, Roy Building and Discovery Centre. Cool!

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1114343.html

Four projects approved
HRM council gives go-ahead to developments at Morris Street, City Centre Atlantic, Roy Building and Discovery Centre
By JEFFREY SIMPSON and DAVENE JEFFREY Staff Reporters
Wed. Apr 1 - 5:36 AM
Four downtown Halifax developments have been given approval while council continues to ponder the HRM by Design strategy.

Councillors agreed Tuesday evening with a staff recommendation to grandfather four projects that follow the rules of the city’s existing Municipal Planning Strategy.

Louis Lawen of Dexel Developments Ltd. spoke during the afternoon sitting of committee of the whole about wanting to proceed with two downtown projects — an $18-million addition to City Centre Atlantic over Pete’s Frootique on Dresden Row, and a $16-million, 10-storey commercial-residential structure on the site of the old Victoria Suites apartment building at Morris and Hollis streets.

Reducing the height of his buildings would make them less economically viable, he said.

"None of these projects are affecting any view planes," he said.

Council agreed that all four projects must be completed within three years after they are started.

"Our intention is to go full speed ahead," Louis Resnick, who is working on the Roy Building on Barrington Street, told committee of the whole.

Frank Medjuck defended his $30-million development of the Discovery Centre on Barrington Street, pointing out that council was letting the downtown stagnate while the Bayers Lake shopping area on the outskirts of the city is sprawling out of control.

Councillors also agreed that HRM by Design should include the site of the proposed new World Trade and Convention Centre, a couple of city blocks including the former Halifax Herald Ltd. property and the Midtown Tavern site.

The first reading of HRM by Design will take place during next Tuesday’s regular council meeting.

Council also agreed in principle that two heritage conservation districts — Barrington Street South and Historic Properties and Granville Mall — become part of HRM by Design.

Council has scheduled three days, May 5-7, for public hearings on HRM by Design.

[Spitfire75]

...and a $16-million, 10-storey commercial-residential structure on the site of the old Victoria Suites apartment building at Morris and Hollis streets.

Are they talking about that huge old blue building that looks like it's about to fall down? Do we already have a thread for this project? Renderings?

[sdm]

They only approved to grandfather the proposals so that they go under the existing MPS.

They didn't approve the development agreements, they still will be required to go through the process.

[BravoZulu]

Someone please tell me this isn't an April fools joke!!!

[sdm]

Someone please tell me this isn't an April fools joke!!!

No joke

[worldlyhaligonian]

Are they talking about that huge old blue building that looks like it's about to fall down? Do we already have a thread for this project? Renderings?

Yes, its the Hollis & Morris development... I assume this decision will be appealed by the Heritage Trust.

[DigitalNinja]

What about ones like International place by the delta? Also the other one on the water. (Salter street?) Are these developments safe?

[worldlyhaligonian]

Already approved and those decisions cannot be appealed.

[BravoZulu]

No joke

Phew!!!

It just seemed too good to be true.

[Jringe01]

yes!!!yes!!!yes!!!yes!!!yes!!!

[worldlyhaligonian]

This article is stating that these developments are approved to be grandfathered in before HRMbyDesign... this is not the same as having development approval.

[Dmajackson]

This article is stating that these developments are approved to be grandfathered in before HRMbyDesign... this is not the same as having development approval.

Here's the HRM Media Release about that;

COMMUNIQUE
Grandfathering Policy in HRMbyDesign

April 1, 2009

The following is a communique to clarify Council’s decision to include a policy on grandfathering four applications for development agreements in HRMbyDesign’s Downtown Plan, at their meeting on March 31, 2009.

Grandfathering Policy in HRMbyDesign
Regional Council passed a motion at their meeting on March 31, 2009, directing staff to include a policy in HRMbyDesign’s proposed Downtown Halifax Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy (the Plan), to grandfather four existing development agreement applications under current policy. This does not mean that Council approved these four applications.

The decision to grandfather is not an indication of how Council will judge each proposal; it simply determines the rules by which these applications will be considered for approval. If the grandfathering policy is approved as part of HRMbyDesign, these four applications will be considered under current policies and regulations, and each proposal will be subject to its own public hearing before a final Council decision is made. The four applications include:
• Case 01162 - Application by Dexel Developments Limited for a 10 storey mixed-use building on the south-east corner of Hollis and Morris Streets.
• Case 01172 - Application by Davison Seamone Rickard Adams Architects Incorporated on behalf of 778938 Ontario Limited / Starfish Properties for 16 storey redevelopment of the Roy Building, Barrington, Sackville and Granville Streets.
• Case 01227 - Application by Dexel Developments Limited for a 5 storey addition to City Centre Atlantic, between Birmingham St. and Dresden Row.
• Case 01231 - Application by 1595 Investments Limited, for a 20 storey mixed-use development at 1595 Barrington Street (Discovery Centre).

Council decided to include the grandfathering policy in HRMbyDesign’s proposed Plan so that members of the public could give feedback on this policy to Council at the HRMbyDesign public hearing, in addition to feedback on other policies and regulations in the proposed Plan and Land Use By-law. Following the HRMbyDesign public hearing, Council can decide to make changes to the proposed HRMbyDesign Plan, including the grandfathering policy. The inclusion of the policy for consideration by the public and Council at the HRMbyDesign public hearing does not require Council to ultimately adopt the policy as part of the HRMbyDesign Plan. It must be ratified at the same time as HRMbyDesign’s Plan, should Council choose to approve it.

HRMbyDesign’s proposed Plan and Land Use By-law is scheduled to receive First Reading by Regional Council at their next regular meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. At that time Council will set the date for the public hearing on the Plan and By-law, which is expected to commence on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, with additional days to be scheduled as necessary.

Background - Grandfathering
Grandfathering development agreement applications simply determines the rules by which these applications will be considered by Council, not the final decision. In addition, the applicant is not entitled to be grandfathered. It is a discretionary policy decision by Council as to whether or not they will be entertained and what standards will be applied to them. This is not a new practice unique to HRMbyDesign. The decision to grandfather existing applications for development must be made every time a major change is proposed for planning policy.

[someone123]

Yeah, it's not approval, it means they will be determined based on the MPS. I am not sure what will happen with the ones on Barrington since it's been decided that the street should get the heritage snow globe treatment (which in practice is the mothball treatment).

This was really the only reasonable decision council could have made. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it could just have been struck down in court otherwise. It's not reasonable to arbitrarily pick a set of rules to judge proposals by as they come in.

[worldlyhaligonian]

The City Centre addition will most likely gain approval with no fight, but the others will definitely be fought by the HT.

[someone123]

That's what I expect, although I think it will be easier to get the Hollis and Morris Street building approved.

I'd also like to see some modifications to the Roy Building proposal (possibly they are already refining it..? I don't know..).

[Keith P.]

Really sloppy reporting by the Herald on this. They totally misled the reader, hence the need for the clarification from HRM.

[someone123]

It's not the first time, and if it were The Coast they'd also be going on about how the developers paid off council or something.

[Dmajackson]

Well the good thing is Halifax has two newspapers and the Metro has a tendancy to get the political stuff more correct.

HRMbyDesign grandfathering wins council approval
PAUL MCLEOD
METRO HALIFAX
April 01, 2009 12:23 a.m.

Four new downtown developments will be able to go ahead, even though they don’t conform to HRMbyDesign.

Yesterday Halifax Regional Council voted to grandfather the projects forward because the developers had already applied and HRMbyDesign hasn’t received final approval.

Two of the developments, located at Barrington and Sackville Street, are about three times the proposed new height limits. That caused several councillors to oppose grandfathering last week.

But this week, after the developers made presentations to council, the grandfathering won widespread approval.

“They followed the laws of the land at the time. The world does not stop for HRM,” said Waverly-Fall River-Beaverbank Coun. Barry Dalrymple.

“We entered into a process to come up with a new process, and the world continued while we did that. So be it.”

Yesterday’s vote doesn’t mean the projects can be built immediately. The developers must still pass through the current process, which includes public hearings. If approved, construction must start within three years.

[eastcoastal]

Grandfathering was the right decision - we cannot expect developers to abide by rules that were not in existance. That said, I think the two proposed for Barrington St. (the Roy site and the Discovery Centre/Zellers site) are both hideous. The Discovery Centre, in particular, disappoints me: so little done with a site with so much potential.

[Keith P.]

Grandfathering was the right decision - we cannot expect developers to abide by rules that were not in existance. That said, I think the two proposed for Barrington St. (the Roy site and the Discovery Centre/Zellers site) are both hideous. The Discovery Centre, in particular, disappoints me: so little done with a site with so much potential.

Except that under HRM by Design, that site would be limited to 7 floors and even less of its potential would be realized. The height restrictions in that document are quite ridiculous.

[Jonovision]

I don't think City Centre Atlantic or Morris will have much of a fight. I think they will be approved just as the Trillium and Alexander and Kings Wharf were. The Roy I am assuming will go through a big redesign before we see it again, and I don't know what to think of the Discovery Centre tower.

[spaustin]

That's what I expect, although I think it will be easier to get the Hollis and Morris Street building approved.

I'd also like to see some modifications to the Roy Building proposal (possibly they are already refining it..? I don't know..).

I wouldn't bet on it. Those old rowhouses across the street are a favourite photo op for the heritage crowd. I have seen them in two or three books now about heritage buildings in Nova Scotia/Halifax.
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/4594/morrisrow2fu4.jpg
FYI, I actually live in the old ramshackled building at Hollis and Morris. No eviction notice yet :)

Edit: It just occurred to me, does Hollis and Morris fall in the South End under Peninsula Community Council or does it fall in the Downtown and go to Regional Council? Regional council will approve it, but Peninsula Council.... maybe not with Sloane and Watts. The two of them voting against equals a tie and means the project would be defeated. Anyone know where the boundary is?

Edit Edit: Well I have answered my own question :) It looks like it'll be Regional Council. Couldn't find it in writing anywhere, but on the Explore HRM map the Downtown and specifically the area from Hollis to the harbour and stopping at Terminal Road is listed as "exception" on the Community Council layer. So I'm assuming that's the area that Regional Council as a whole considers.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6853/exceptiony.jpg
Strangely, the other side of Hollis in that area is Peninsula Council, which seems silly and arbitrary since Hollis isn't much of a natural break. Barrington would have made a lot more sense since the Peninsula side of Barrington does change in character compared to the water side in that area whereas Hollis is basically the same on both sides. Anyway, the Vic developers are lucky to be on the water side as opposed to the Barrington side of Hollis since they're bound to receive a more favourable hearing at Regional Council compared to Regional!