Nova Scotia Approves Sandy Lake Site Prep Before Development Plans Are Finalized
The Nova Scotia government has authorized tree removal, blasting, and earthwork at the Sandy Lake development area in Bedford before final designs are approved. While officials say the move will boost housing and ease traffic on Hammonds Plains Road, environmentalists and a local councillor criticize the lack of public consultation and potential ecological damage.
The Nova Scotia provincial government approved site preparation work—including tree removal, blasting, and earthwork—for special planning areas in Halifax Regional Municipality last month, including the Sandy Lake area in Bedford, before any development plans were established.
A multi-unit neighbourhood is planned for the Sandy Lake area, but no designs have been approved yet, and further public consultation is required. The provincial government stated that the approvals aim to increase housing stock and ease traffic and congestion on Hammonds Plains Road. Housing Minister John White said on Oct. 29 that the Sandy Lake project looks ahead to address traffic and housing struggles from a community perspective.
Critics argue the approach bypasses proper design and public input. Karen McKendry, senior wilderness outreach coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre, criticized the approvals as bad planning that destroys more old-growth forest, wetlands, and streams than necessary. She described the situation as one example among 16 special planning areas where a "cart before the horse" approach is being used, excluding the public from decision-making.
District 10 Councillor Kathryn Morse also raised concerns, stating that special-planning areas do not represent good community planning because they build housing without adequate infrastructure and social infrastructure. Morse argued that planning and development should remain in the hands of the municipality, noting that provincial overrides lead to more expensive and potentially worse long-term development.