Letters to the Editor

Cherry Lane resident not pleased with councillors who support zoning change

Dear Editor:

First of all, I would like to commend the council to be open to proposals on the old school house and Police Station on Cherry Lane. That said, the present proposal to change the zoning from R1 to allow a multi-unit complex is totally out of sync with the long term unique reason why so many of us decided to build in the area. The appeal of a low-density area coupled with the historical nature of Cherry Lane was paramount for many of us to invest in the location. Added to that, when properties are listed by real estate agents, they use the phrase, “Located in beautiful CBS on one of the finest most sought after streets in the area.”

If the zoning is changed it will for sure change the very fabric of the neighborhood and the above phrase will no longer be relevant. Coupled with that, entering Cherry Lane before that property, you have two blind turns. What happens in a 4-unit complex when most families have two cars? That will be eight cars entering and exiting onto the street.

 One may ask why would someone like me is opposed to this? Just to provide some historical   context, my great grandfather purchased the land next to this building, which now runs from Lot 32/34 right up to and including Lot 44/46 in the 1800’s. He then built four two-storey homes, one for each of his daughters for summer residents. They all were painted Cherry colour and called Cherry Row. Many years ago, they where demolished so family members could build full time residences. The lane was originally called Smith’s Lane, but based on these homes, over time the name Cherry Lane became the road as it is today. As a “Townie” who spent all my summers on Cherry Lane, I have a sense of place.

As time passed a family decision was made (based on Low Density zoning) to live full time on Cherry Lane. As the years passed, I married and also built a residence. During this time, I worked for a multinational pharmaceutical company and was promoted to regional business manager, managing the Eastern Canada Sales team. It made sense from a travel perspective to move to Halifax to avoid flying out each week. I made the decision to stay, based on the present zoning and the historical and tranquil nature of Cherry Lane.

Now this decision is in jeopardy if a move forward is made to open the door to such multi complex properties by changing the zoning.

I was also totally appalled and taken aback by some council members’ comments related to this project that appeared in The Shoreline, such as, “the area is in a great location close to schools and businesses which would be appealing to families looking for duplexes.”

One would think they are working to sell the duplexes for the developer. The role of council, in my opinion, is certainly to attract people to the area, but not sell the benefits for a developer over the historical nature why myself and others chose to reside here. One can only think these people have no historical concept of the area and maybe lack any long-term history living here!

I certainly agree we need affordable housing in CBS, but not at the expense of changing the zoning. Development like this needs to be in other areas that do not have an impact on zoning.

Regards,

John Barnes

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