Coming to council: smoking rules, weekend closure of Argyle Street, Willow Tree public hearing

Halifax Regional Council has a packed schedule as they meet on Tuesday, with eyes set on examining weekend closures of Argyle Street and rules around the use of legal cannabis.

With that in mind, here’s some of the issues worth looking at this week’s meeting of Halifax Regional Municipality’s (HRM) regional council.

Willow Tree public hearing

Haligonians will have their say on the planned Willow Tree development on Tuesday at a public hearing scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

After the public hearing, council is scheduled to vote on the options they have in front of them.

One of the options was what was originally proposed to council: that Armco build 25-storeys and provide 10 affordable housing units at a market price of $750 per month for 15 years and bury utility wires in the area.

READ MORE: Halifax’s Willow Tree highrise moves forward to second public hearing

In March, council voted down a first reading of a by-law that would have imposed a 20-storey limit on the building proposed by Armco, which is itself operated by APL Properties. Instead, council voted to establish a limit of 25-storeys with more incentives for the municipality.

The proposed 25-storey development at the corner of Quinpoool Road and Robie Street would replace the 10-storey office building currently in the location.

WATCH: Argyle & Grafton Street ready to launch

Closing Argyle Street on weekends

Downtown Halifax may finally have the walkable, shoppable street plaza it always dreamed of — at least on the weekends.

That is if the report headed to council on Tuesday is approved.

Council is set to consider shuttering a portion of Argyle Street — a stretch between Prince Street and Blowers Street — to vehicular traffic on weekends.

The closure would go into effect at noon on Friday and continue until midnight on Sunday for July and August.

The move was requested by city’s Downtown Business Commission.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia to toughen rules on smoking cannabis, tobacco in public areas

Ban on smoking on municipal property

Council will look at banning smoking on all municipal property ahead of impending cannabis legalization.

The proposed motion, which would apply to all substances,  would amend the municipality’s Respecting Nuisances bylaw and prohibit smoking on municipal lands, streets and parks.

The only exception would be in “designated areas.”

Breaking the proposed by-law would result in a ticket between $25 and $2,000.

The proposed amendment would also prohibit the cultivation of cannabis outside of a dwelling, and set a fine of between $1,000 and $10,000 for growing cannabis in a yard or on a deck.

The amendments look to strengthen changes made by the Nova Scotia government in March, when they amended the Smoke-Free Places Act, prohibiting smoking within 20 metres of playgrounds located in outdoor public spaces or within 20 metres of publicly owned sport and recreation venues.

In the report, staff estimate that enforcing the new bylaws would require the municipality to hire eight new bylaw officers, a new supervisor and an support staff to an estimated coast of $970,000 a year.