Halifax council reverses controversial stormwater charge

TheChronicleHerald.ca
April 29, 2015
Brett Bundale

A moment of silence, reversal of new stormwater charges, a pavilion at the ice skating oval, bonus zoning for a downtown development and the fate of an old community centre were all decided upon at regional council Tuesday.
 
Council kicked off with a moment of silence instead of a prayer, following the Supreme Court of Canada decision that prayers before city council meetings violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
 
However, Coun. David Hendsbee (Preston-Chezzetcook-Eastern Shore) suggested council sing the national anthem instead, a suggestion Mayor Mike Savage said he would take into consideration.
 
Meanwhile, council rescinded a motion from last January that levied a new stormwater charge on Halifax Water bills.
 
The new $39 “HRM right-of-way” charge raised the ire of residents when it appeared retroactively on utility bills in recent months.
 
Coun. Russell Walker (Halifax-Bedford Basin West) put forward the motion of rescission, which was approved by council, and requested a staff report on alternative funding models for the stormwater fee.
 
An information report submitted to council in February delved into the alternatives to billing Halifax Water ratepayers $39 a year.
 
The report said council could opt to pay for the charge through the general tax rate, with the average Halifax homeowner paying $15.80 more on their property tax bill a year. Commercial rates would also be affected.
 
Council could also levy the fee through an area rate on properties that more directly benefit from the stormwater service, which would cost roughly $16.80 per home.
 
Meanwhile, council approved a new multimillion-dollar pavilion to be built beside the city’s skating oval. The $2.5-million building will replace the temporary buildings and trailers set up by the Emera Oval and will house the ice resurfacers, skate rental, storage room, skate sharpening equipment, offices and public washrooms.
 
The building is also expected to be available for year-round recreation activities.
 
Council also approved a request for so-called bonus zoning for a mixed-use development slated for the corner of Sackville and Market streets in downtown Halifax.
 
The developer is proposing maintaining the three-storey red brick facade of the original Sackville Street building, which once housed Night Magic Fashions, and then adding another five storeys stepped back from the facade.
 
The project exceeds the usual 22-metre height limit by an extra six metres, giving the development an extra two storeys or roughly 9,400 square feet of floor space. Council approved the extra two storeys due to the public benefit of the project, which includes retaining the historic facade and using sustainable building practices.
 
Meanwhile, council decided on the fate of an old community centre in the Lake Loon and Cherry Brook areas. Council declared the property surplus to municipal needs and voted to sell the property to a non-profit group below market value due to its cultural and historical value.
 
The Lake Look and Cherry Brook community is one of the oldest African-Nova Scotian communities in the Preston area, dating back to the 1700s.
 
The one-storey structure at the corner of the Lake Loon and Cherry Brook roads was a segregated school that was shut down in the 1960s and converted into a community centre.
 
The Lake Loon-Cherry Brook Development Association plans to submit a bid for the property. Halifax must also advertise the property and hold a public information meeting.