News Release
Community Council Defers Consideration of Condo Development
(Friday, December 5/2003)-- Harbour East Community Council last night deferred further consideration of a 38-unit condominium development proposed for the east side of Lake Banook, pending a further study on how winds might effect the lake's paddling and rowing courses.
Councillor Bruce Hetherington, Council Chair, said that information contained in a wind study already conducted was flawed, and a motion to defer the proposal until a further study could be carried out was passed unanimously.
"Lake Banook is a jewel in the heart of Dartmouth, the City of Lakes, and is world-class venue for canoe and rowing events," Councillor Hetherington said. " We cannot afford the risk of any error in terms of protecting the lake from adverse effects of urban development".
Halifax Regional Municipality, along with the Atlantic division of Canadian Canoe Association, last summer agreed to undertake a wind study with the developers of the condominium project; and United Gulf Limited, the developers of the former YMCA property on the northwest shore of Lake Banook.
The study was undertaken by RWDI Ltd, of Guelph, Ont. When completed, consultants discovered following a public meeting in Dartmouth on November 26, that the information they were provided showed the paddling course on the lake was in the wrong location. The course location is actually further away from the proposed condo site.
Although municipal staff felt that the new information indicates that there would be minimal wind effects from the project, to be known as Paddler's Cove, Harbour East Community Council decided that the wind study model must be updated, with the revised course layout, and retested.
Council also directed that additional public information meetings be held on the proposed Paddler's Cove project once the revised wind study was completed, likely in late January, 2004.
-30-
Councillor Bruce Hetherington
Chair, Harbour East Community Council
(902) 488-4808
