Reinstate Burnsides Industrial Commission?

Councillor Gloria McCluskey (Dartmouth Centre) says there was a time when she knew about everything going on in the Burnside Industrial Park. That was before the City of Dartmouth amalgamated to become part of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and Dartmouth still had its own government. They also had the Burnside Industrial Commission.

The Industrial Commission was made up of business owners in the park and councillors, McCluskey says. All the land sales would come to us, before they went to council, and we would sit down and talk about the landscaping and set the land prices and all that kind of thing. We were on top of the park and knew what was happening; it was great. As a councillor now, I dont know whats going on in there half the time.

Theres been no such commission in place since Dartmouth amalgamated and McCluskey says Burnside was terribly neglected for the 10 years directly following the amalgamation.

Very little happened there during that time, she says. Now its thriving again, but we used to refer to that park as the goose that laid the golden egg because we got millions of tax dollars from there. Its even greater now.

McCluskey says the Industrial Commission took money from the land and put it back into the park.

For example, when we needed money for the 107 bypass (the Akerley extension), the government of the day didnt have that money so we funded it so it could happen right away. Then the government paid us back.

McCluskey says everyone in HRM has an interest in the park because of the tax dollars that come from there, but the business owners are the real stakeholders.

These people live there and are directly affected by whatever happens there, she says. They are the members of the Greater Burnside Business Association and theyre the leaders of the park.

One of the benefits of such a commission, McCluskey says, is that theres a greater sense of having compatibility with businesses.

You dont want an office building with something less compatible next door, she says. You wouldnt want a retail business next to a metal collector; not that it happens now.

McCluskey does note that a lot of people did not want the asphalt plant that recently went up on Turner Drive.

I think an industrial commission would help the people that are there first of all because they would have more say in whats happening there, she says.

It would give business owners and councilors the chance to meet once a month to talk about what land was up for sale, who was interested in buying it, and everything else that should happen along with that.

They would be looking at sidewalks in the area, bus transportation, and everything else that affects the park, McCluskey says. Im not saying they could put the buses in, but they could certainly recommend it to council.

A few members of the Greater Burnside Business Association have expressed interest in the Industrial Commission.

Theres no point in me being interested in it if the people up there arent interested, McCluskey says.

McCluskey asked for a report from council about forming another commission a few weeks ago and is waiting for a response.

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