The province is trying to remove some red tape to bring more housing to the Halifax area.
The government changed the land designation of four sites to special planning areas, which gives Housing Minister John Lohr the authority to approve housing projects, according to a news release.
“We’re a significant way through the planning and development process with many of our initial special planning areas, and we’re seeing the results. Designation is removing red tape and speeding up development. The process is working, and these new designations will bring more housing, including long-term care rooms, to Nova Scotians, faster,” wrote Lohr in the release.
The new designation creates the possibility for future developers to create thousands of places to live, including:
- Westphal urban reserve lands, Dartmouth – up to 18,000 residential units, plus 96 long-term care rooms
- 1226 Cole Harbour Road, Cole Harbour – more than residential 511 units, plus 144 long-term care rooms
- 1109 Fall River Road, Fall River – residential 316 units, plus 144 long-term care rooms
- Paper Mill Lake, Bedford – up to residential 4,714 units, including 214 units in Phase 1.
The government says this can save at least four months in planning time.
These are only potential amounts. First, a project has to be approved, and it could end up having less units than projected.
“The designation of the sites where modern, new long-term care homes will be built as special planning areas supports our government’s multi-year plan to expand and increase long-term care in Nova Scotia,” wrote Minister of Seniors Barbara Adams in the news release.
Adams says the senior rooms will be single rooms with private bathrooms.
Lohr also approved a 120-unit development for Perry Lake Developments Inc. off Ingram Drive in Fall River. The government also made changes to the Southdale-Mount Hope special planning area to allow it to progress as planned, the release said.
