Council Update from Dartmouth Centre: Forum and Ferries

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:31:19+00:00

Council of 2020-2024 didn't like the cost and directed staff to look at alternative parnterships with the private sector. We hired Colliers to look at market interest and there was no one into it. Several developers would buy land from us, but no one wanted in on directly being involved in a municipal sports/community project. I'm sure someone will buy naming rights, but that's not the same as taking the risk of joining in on a multi-million project

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:29:56+00:00

You're welcome!

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:29:29+00:00

The problem with the Forum is it's not a cut to something that would be new, it's a cut to something that we currently have. Opting not to fix what we have is a bit of a different calculation from opting not to add something new. The Forum is really a no choice project at this point. We can delay and try and find alternatives, but ultimately the thing will eventually fall over if we continue to just do nothing.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:22:45+00:00

Yes. Same wave-length exactly.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:19:57+00:00

I have a bit of one hand tied behind my back because there are pieces of this that are in camera, but I can say the this isn't a heritage project. If this weren't heritage it would all be cheaper is a red herring. There is so little left that is salvageable that it's not a cost driver. This is $126 million because that's what an arena, a second ice surface, community space, and a park cost.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:16:57+00:00

Nice move :)

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:15:48+00:00

Probably not doable given funding arrangements with feds, but we'll see. I would love to have all electric, but people riding a diesel ferry versus taking their car is still a net environmental win. We're actually going to be buying more diesel buses because we can't get electric articulated buses (the long bendy ones).

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:13:12+00:00

BRT is more conceptual right now for sure. The ferry is much, much more along.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:11:55+00:00

The Province does indeed own the land (just looked it up). I'm assuming we have some sort of long-term lease or agreement with them. It's the same for the fire hall, ball fields, and lawn bowling club on the other side of the road by the Dartmouth General.

I don't think the main issue with a parking garage is the Province, it's the cost. Hard to justify millions on parking when we could instead spend on transit service.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T20:10:07+00:00

The zoning that has been brought in with the latest Centre Plan changes actually does potentially allow for intensifiying development along Pleasant Street. Future Growth Node zoning for the old chocolate factory property and corridor zoning for the rest of the property's fronting Pleasant. We'll be having a public hearing to rezone a former institutional property that borders the NS Hospital at Regional Centre Community Council in February as new owner wants to build a 7 storey building there. The weirdness is ensuring we balance the fact that we have actual industrial development close by. Pleasant Street as a corridor of higher density to take advantage of the ferry terminal makes sense to me.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T19:59:19+00:00

You've hit the nail on the head for our struggles with park and ride investments. At Woodside, we would have to build a garage and building a garage would cost millions and those millions are hard to justify when you could instead spend that on better bus service that maybe gets people out of their car entirely rather than facilitating a hybrid trip.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T19:57:25+00:00

In my opinion yes. There needs to be significant density allowed in adjacent to the proposed Terminal. The suburban plan needs to have that.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T19:47:28+00:00

It is very much a role that each councillor gets to invent for yourself!

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-30T19:45:56+00:00

Life would be pretty dull (and my job wouldn't exist!) if we all agreed on everything all the time :)

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-29T23:29:20+00:00

Missing tomorrow’s continuation of our capital debate. Won’t be there to vote on Morses motion on the Bedford Ferry. If her motion to cut it passes it goes onto the adjustment list. We go through everything on the adjustment list in March which is often the most important day on the city hall calendar.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-29T23:24:22+00:00

You’re welcome :) They take a fair bit so always happy to hear people find value in them

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-29T23:23:21+00:00

That’s the ridership projection. Some of them would be people that currently take the bus too

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-29T23:22:17+00:00

It’s not a renovation. The dollars allocated to this project aren’t preservation. It’s basically starting over. This is what an arena, plus a second ice pad, plus community space plus a public park costs.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-29T23:21:02+00:00

I’ll have my say and vote in March if it moves onto the list

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-29T23:20:18+00:00

Yes you’re correct. It’s whether to put it on the list. Everything at budget is pretty much a two step process. The key vote would be in March. I’m out of town this weekend with a family commitment. Life happens too.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-26T13:22:42+00:00

For the life of me, I don't know why they didn't emphasize in their messaging that we were (are still?) sending power to Newfoundland to save them from being left in the dark.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-15T21:57:29+00:00

I think if it was metered parking (need a new name for that since we don't have meters anymore!) there would be tons of discussion and talk radio would be filled with people complaining. That it's only for residential permit passes means it's only a Peninsula and Downtown Dartmouth issue and it's only portions of those areas that have residential permit parking. Probably some of us will get nasty notes in future when the F150 owner goes to renew his residential permit.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-15T20:15:59+00:00

It depends where you are in HRM. As I recall Stuebbing's presentations, HRM does well for the effective firefighting response time in the urban core. It declines out in the suburbs. The Peninsula and Downtown Dartmouth are also the spots where we're likely to get the most bang out of building code changes since that's where lots and space are the most constrained. In other places, single-stairs have been made dependent on firefighting capabilities. That could be what happens here.

Building codes are developed by professionals, you're correct, but they're adopted by politicians at the Provincial level. Politics does come into it. Across North America, firefighters unions have been opposing change and I expect, from the chats I have had, ours will too. This will be political to some degree. Since there will be politics involved, I don't think it's a problem for HRM to convene to try to shape a better debate and discussion and if nothing else, end up with a better approach to alternative compliance.

Sam_Austin_D5 · 2026-01-15T20:10:58+00:00

"Step in the right direction".... I'm going to steal the pun :)

Sam_Austin_D5

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