HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council Minutes - July 4, 2023 Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Special Council Meeting Minutes
Tuesday,
July 4, 2023
9:35 a.m.
Council Chambers
2nd Floor, City Hall
320 Esplanade, Sydney, NS
Mayor McDougall-Merrill called the meeting to order.
Present: Mayor Amanda M. McDougall-Merrill
Councillor Gordon MacDonald
Councillor Steve Gillespie
Councillor Eldon MacDonald
Councillor Glenn Paruch
Deputy Mayor James Edwards
Councillor Darren Bruckschwaiger
Councillor Darren O'Quinn
Councillor Lorne Green
Staff. Marie Walsh, Chief Administrative Officer
John MacKinnon, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Jennifer Campbell, Chief Financial Officer
Demetri Kachafanas, KC, Acting Municipal Clerk/Regional Solicitor
Wayne MacDonald, Director of Engineering and Public Works
Michael Ruus, Director of Planning and Development
Karen Neville, Senior Planner
Peter Vandermeulen, Planner
Sharon MacSween, Senior Administrative Assistant
Kelly McDonald, Recording Secretary
Absent: Councillor Earlene MacMullin (Regrets)
Councillor Cyril MacDonald (Regrets)
Councillor Steve Parsons (Regrets)
Councillor Ken Tracey (Regrets)
Special Council Meeting-Minutes
July 4,2023 Approved July 20,2023 Page-2
Summary of Decisions
Land Acknowledtement
Roll Call
1. Approval of Agenda:
Motion to approve the July 4, 2023, Special Council Agenda as circulated. Carried.
2. CBRM Forward
Motion to approve for first reading the new Municipal Planning Strategy, Land Use By-law, and
Subdivision By-law and direct Staff to schedule a Public Hearing at an upcoming meeting of
Council. Carried.
Adjournment
Special Council Meeting-Minutes
July 4,2023 Approved July 20,2023 Page-3
Land Acknowledgement
Roll Call
1. Approval of Agenda:
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Green, seconded by Councillor Bruckschwaiger, to approve the July 4,
2023, Special Council Agenda as circulated.
Motion Carried.
2. CBRM Forward:
Michael Ruus, Director of Planning and Development,provided background information on this
issue. He advised that Regional Municipal Planning Strategies adopted in 2004, was to
encompass the CBRM as a single jurisdiction after amalgamation in 1995 to replace the 15
Municipal Planning Strategies and 16 Land Use By-laws left over from the former municipalities
in unified document and a regional perspective. In 2006, a Secondary Municipal Planning
Strategy for the North End of Sydney was adopted.
Director Ruus advised that as part of CBRM's participation in the Provincial Regulatory
Modernization Pilot, in March 2021 CBRM initiated the comprehensive review and development
of a new Municipal Planning Strategy, Economic Development Strategy, and associated Land
Use By-law and Subdivision By-law. Supported by the Province of Nova Scotia, and in
partnership with the Eastern District Planning Commission and CBRM Regional Enterprise
Network. The new modernized Land Use By-law has less than 150 pages with fewer than 25
zones,this is compared to the more than 300 pages and more than 100 zones in the previous Land
Use By-laws.
Karen Neville, Senior Planner, provided a presentation and advised that the goal of the review
was to:
• Modernize rules and language;
• Align policy and regulations with economic opportunities;
• Facilitate a more streamlined development process;
• Establish a land use framework that can adapt into the future; and
• Redesign regulations to promote clarity.
The Senior Planner also discussed:
• Public Participation and engagement
• What was heard
• Approach to Housing:
o Density
o Shared Dwellings
o Accessory Dwelling Units
Continued...
Special Council Meeting-Minutes
July 4,2023 Approved July 20,2023 Page-4
CBRM Forward (Cont'd):
• Approach to Parking
• Approach to Rural Development
• Comparison of the existing and proposed land use by-laws
• New look of chapters, zones and summaries to promote by-law clarity
• Public Program and Engagement Program Policy
• Recommendation
After the presentation, the following motion was then put forward:
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Green, seconded by Councillor O'Quinn, to approve for first reading the
new Municipal Planning Strategy, Land Use By-law, and Subdivision By-law and direct Staff to
schedule a Public Hearing at an upcoming meeting of Council.
Discussion:
• Council discussed the following_
• Public engagement
• Construction and Build Code issues regarding tiny houses
• Licensing and annual inspections for rooming houses.
• Protection of residential areas
• Granny suites
• Private roads vs unlisted roads and municipal standards, safety and easements
• Parking regulations/bicycle parking.
• North End Sydney Secondary Land Use By-law limitations and future strategies
• Coastal Protection Act and Regulations
• Planning documents are open to amendments
• Land Use By-law and Building Code violations
• Housing density will depend on zoning
• Permit applications and processing time
• Economic Development Strategy/Growth Strategy considered during CBRM Forward
process
• Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC) provides valuation services to
assessed properties
• Motion Carried.
Meeting adiourned at 10:49 a.m.
Mayor Amanda M. McDougall-Merrill Demetri Kachafanas, KC
Acting Municipal Clerk
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