OurHRM Alliance Alarmed

From the Alliance (1/23/2014):
Shocking news has arrived that a number of councillors plan to fundamentally undermine the Regional Plan on Tuesday.
As you know, Steve Adams plans to move that the Urban Reserve behind Purcell’s Cove be designated Rural Commuter for a developer who bought the land five years after it was made Urban Reserve.
David Hendsbee has announced that he will move to have the Urban Reserve in Cherry Brook designated Urban Settlement, meaning one of our largest urban forests could be paved immediately.
We are told one councillor plans to have water extended to all areas serviced by sewer and vice versa.This change would allow many rural and suburban areas to densify considerably while costing the city and residents millions. Staff are opposed to this idea: “As most lands currently within Water Service Areas are not in close proximity to public wastewater systems, connection would be cost prohibitive to property owners.”
One councillor expressed a desire to allow new roads in the Open Space and Natural Resources Designation, which would break open the vast majority of HRM to development. (Please see the green sections on this map: http://www.halifax.ca/planhrm/documents/Map2GFLUMRP5draft3.pdf”) Restrictions on roads is the primary way development is controlled in the Open Space designation.
These changes would fundamentally undermine the capacity of the Regional Plan to influence growth. The plan will also likely have to go back for consultation and it will be delayed yet more months and maybe years. No “substantive” changes can go directly to final hearings at this time.
Anyone and everyone who believes residents should have a say in how and where HRM grows should contact councillors and attend council on Tuesday Feb. 25 at 10:00am at city hall. Your presence at third reading will send a powerful message.
-Tristan Cleveland
Events and Logistics Coordinator
Our HRM Alliance