Minister Designates Fall River South Special Planning Area

More housing options will be coming to Fall River.

Fall River South (Opportunity Site C) has been designated a special planning area and a proposed 120-unit project in the area can now move ahead under provincial legislation. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr made the designation on the recommendation of the Executive Panel on Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The area covers about 12 hectares (30 acres) at the end of Ingram Drive.

The developer will now work with municipal planning and development staff to move the project forward. Projects in special planning areas are subject to permitting, fees and safety and regulatory requirements specified in the Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality Act.

A map of the special planning area and copy of the order issued by the Minister are available at: https://novascotia.ca/housing-panel/

Quick Facts:

• special planning area designations allow the Minister to assume authority for development approvals within the areas as outlined in Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality Act
• municipal planning staff recommended the proposed development in 2022, but it was not approved by the Halifax regional council

Additional Resources:

Descriptions of special planning area projects and updates: https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/regional-community-planning/regional-plan/special-planning-areas

Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/housing%20in%20the%20hrm.pdf

The government’s five-year housing plan – Our Homes, Action for Housing: https://novascotia.ca/action-for-housing/

A Healthy Nova Scotia: Solutions for Housing and Homelessness: https://beta.novascotia.ca/documents/solutions-housing-and-homelessness/

Mandate letter for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-MAH-EMO-MR.pdf