WAVERLEY: A proposed plan to expand the water line into Dexter Construction offices at the Rocky Lake Quarry appears headed for approval.
Only one resident turned up for a public information meeting (PIM) Feb. 1, at the Waverley Legion. Besides the one resident in attendance was a presenter, two of the project engineers, HRM Councillors Tim Outhit (Bedford) and Barry Dalrymple (Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank) and two HRM staff. The meeting lasted just 15 minutes.
The meeting was held as part of the process to get feedback or hear concerns on the proposal, which is seeking an amendment to Halifax Regional Municipality water use bylaw so that the piping can be extended about 250 meters to service and rectify issues with regards to potable and water usage in the building where Dexter’s offices are located. The Terrain Group was operating on behalf of Dexter Construction in this initiative.
Lindsay MacDonald, a project engineer with the Terrain Group, said the work won’t cost taxpayers or HRM anything as Dexter’s is footing the $200,000 bill.
“We hope to get started soon,” MacDonald said.
Nick Pryce, project manager and senior planner with the Terrain Group, said it’s his hope the application can move swiftly through to HRM regional council.
“It’s uncertain when we will be able to get started,” Pryce said following the meeting. “We won’t know until a decision is made. If council approves it, it then has to go to the province who have to sign off on it in terms of amending the planning documents.”
He explained the next step after the PIM will be a first reading, which will go before regional council and Pryce hopes that’s sometime in March before a public hearing will be held in mid-April
“After the hearing, if approved there’s an appeal period,” he said. “If there are no appeals, it will move on to the province, which will then look to signing off on the documents pertaining to the regional subdivision by-law. Then we can start doing detailed design to get approved through the Halifax Water commission. That’s probably another six months to a year away.”
Currently the existing water main comes along Rocky Lake Drive and then stops just before the Quarry lands. All this is doing is extending that, Pryce said.
“Basically, all we’re doing is extending the line to their buildings to resolve the water quality issues they’re currently experiencing,” Pryce said.
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com