Take Action!

Next step in the process:

There will be a Public Hearing for the Lawen Proposals for 2 30-storey towers in August or September, 2022

How did we get here? HRM Council, Staff and the Heritage Advisory Committee (HAC) ignored DOH’s ask to present our 3-D model of the two proposals for four towers together.

At the Sept 2021 Public Hearing the Halifax West and Peninsula Community Council ignored our data on the 31,000 tonnes of CO2e that building the four towers will emit. That is a low preliminary estimate of GHG emissions just from the products and materials for the construction alone. It does not include emissions from the 900 cars or heating, lighting and cooling.

The Council ignored the benefits our small-scale model presented. A 9-storey in-fill option we modelled would provide ~650 units and retain ~75-80 existing units as only one building would be demolished. They ignored that a smaller scale building would release 40% less greenhouse gas emissions per unit of floor area. That’s because smaller scale doesn’t use as much energy intensive materials-cement, steel, aluminum or glass. That’s why building retention and small-scale is better.

So at the Public Hearing Halifax and West Community Council voted to support the Rouvalis Proposals for 28 & 29-storeys plus penthouses with Patti Cuttell being the only person to vote "No."

When the Lawen proposals for two 30-storey towers comes to a public hearing they’ll be asking for two more ‘Fenwicks’ to be added to the two Rouvalis ‘Fenwicks.’ These four towers will be on less than a single city block and set a precedent for future building developments in Halifax. Demolitions are costing us too much. Buildings of this scale will harm Halifax too much. We need to consider better options.

Please Sign Our Petition to Stop the Demolitions: shorturl.at/dlxET

And please write to: Halifax and West Community Council to say no to the Lawen proposals. There’s a sample letter below-but please improve it with your own wording!

c/o: clerks@halifax.ca

Subject Line: Case #20218 and Case #20761

CC: mayor@halifax.ca, Waye.Mason@halifax.ca, clearys@halifax.ca, Smithli@halifax.ca, pcuttell@gmail.com, iona.stoddard@halifax.ca, morsek@halifax.ca

Sample Letter

Dear Halifax and West Community Council Members,

There are 4 towers proposed for the city block bordered by Robie, Carleton, College and Spring Garden Rd. At no time in the public consultation process has the city been clear that the plans call for the 16, 23, 26 and 30 storey towers to be built on less than one rather small city block. Or that they would increase in height to 30-storeys-at least 80% of the square footage of the Nova Centre.

The public was shielded from these facts because the two developments (equal to four Fenwicks) have never been presented together. This is a kind of sleight of hand, as neither the city nor the developers have shown the 4 towers to be built on just one city block together.

In 2012 and 2016 Heritage Trust requested that this area be designated as a heritage conservation district. About half of its buildings are heritage and another 11 qualify. By keeping the existing height restrictions of 35, 40 and 50 feet; the municipally, provincially and nationally Heritage designated Carlton Street and its area would have been protected. So to the affordability, character, community and the climate.

At 2016 Centre Plan public consultations HRM Staff proposed adding 400 residents to this area. These can be accommodated in the approved but yet-to-be-constructed 6 and 8-storey Killam developments along with a 6-8 storey building and some in-fill additions or back yard suites.

Developments of this scale will add at least 31,000 tonnes of CO2e; about the same as emissions from 9,497 vehicles. Replacing the demolished floor area alone will add at least ~2,214 tonnes of CO2e. This is close to the weight of single use plastic bags that Nova Scotians used to send to the landfill each year unit the NS government passed the Plastic Bags Reduction act.

Demolishing building is not appropriate, necessary, or serving the broader interests of the citizens. It adds to our climate change crisis. It harms the economic, social and cultural advantage that small, older neighbourhoods give Halifax including density, diversity and affordability. The public do not support these proposals. Do not approve these proposals.There are better options for in-fill, adding on, or using empty lands such as Cogswell or Shannon Park.

Say no to these proposals.

Thank you,

Name:

Address: