Burnside -
Burnside, and Halifax Regional Municipality in general, needs to hold on to its industrial zoned land. That was one message that came through loud and clear at a public meeting held in Dartmouth to solicit public input on future land use in a currently undeveloped section of the business park.
A strong contingent of business interests, representing business owners, developers and the Greater Burnside Business Association (GBBA), all spoke at the meeting of the need to preserve land in Burnside for future expansion. They urged HRM representatives to keep the I-2 zoning for general industrial uses in place on the land under discussion.
The specific section of the park that the meeting was focused on is located immediately north of the Wright Avenue Extension and is bordered by Wilkinson Avenue on the west and Dartmouth Crossing Limited lands to the east. It represents approximately 130 acres of HRM-owned land and sits upon a ridge that rises to a height of 95 metres, making it one of the highest points in Dartmouth.
The land sits right next to the new Atlantic Gateway-Halifax Logistics Park section of Burnside, which prompted a tenant of that area - Consolidated Fastfrate - to speak up about its future.
"If the Logistics Park is to expand, there could be potential conflicts should residential uses be allowed in this area," says Rob Pittman, terminal manager for Consolidated Fastfrate.
"You could see many of the same issues faced by Halterm in the south end. Further restrictions on operations would be problematic."
Also present at the meetings was John Lindsay, president of Eastport Properties - one of the oldest and most active developers in Burnside. Lindsay points out that Halifax has an almost limitless supply of land that can be used for residential development, but that isn't the case for industrial land.
"From a long-term development of the Park perspective, it's always important to know where the next place to be of development is going to be. We need to hold on to the limited supply of HRM-owned industrial land."
Andrew Inch, vice chair of the GBBA, echoes the need to preserve industrial land.
"The erosion of industrial lands in general is a problem," he says. "This area is one of the last expanses of Joseph Zatzman's original dream of Burnside. The Business Parks Development Functional Plan got it right: the general character of the business park needs to stay the same. If you're going to change the character of the park, there needs to be an area of equal expanse elsewhere to replace it."
Not every voice at the meeting was business-related. Several residents of the Lake Charles area were present to voice concerns about how development of the land is handled once it takes place. Some were concerned their views would be ruined and at least one resident hoped it could just be left green, but most of the concerns raised centred on protecting Lake Charles from any damaged caused by increased run-off.
John O'Connor, chair of the Shubenacadie Canal Commission, spoke for many of the residents when he outlined his fear of increased run-off caused by large-scale earth moving, blasting and de-forestation of the land in question, especially given its high elevation and direct sloping toward the Lake.
Increased run-off and silt could have a serious impact on not just Lake Charles; given its status as a headwater for other bodies, any effects could be felt over a large area.
Anyone interested in contributing further comments on the future land use of this section of the Park can do so by logging in to an HRM Web survey at www.halifax.ca/planning/Case01338Details.html.
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