Concerns about density and traffic were raised during a community open house on the Mill Cove and Bedford Waterfront project, which will redevelop the area and include an electric high-speed ferry service.
Residents filled the Bedford Legion on Wednesday to share their thoughts on the early stages of the project.
Mill Cove has been designated an Urban Local Growth Center by the municipality and as a Suburban Opportunity Site by the province of Nova Scotia.
In addition to the ferry service linking Bedford to Halifax, which was announced in 2024 as part of a joint investment by all three levels of government, the revitalization will include a new public library, housing and park improvements.
“All of those combined is essentially a strong reason for us to study the area and look at a transit-oriented development or community,” said Dali Salih, a senior planner with the Planned Growth and Strategic Projects division at HRM.
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“Some of the comments that I received (so far are), ‘This is exciting, build it already,’ or ‘This is exciting, but you know some improvements are required relating to whether it’s infrastructure or whether it is parkland.’”
Planners have set out key objectives, including creating pedestrian-friendly public spaces, addressing coastal hazards, enhancing the waterfront, and identifying mobility network upgrades to support the ferry.
Many attendees said they were excited about what the early stages of planning have included, but some had reservations about traffic and the proposed density of housing.
“You have to pick out the proper areas for the high density, and you still need people who want to buy single-home dwellings. So a lot of that has to be addressed,” said Kelly Bentham, president of the Fernleigh Park Homeowner Society.
Fellow resident, Jacqueline Levert, pointed out that access is a key consideration too.
“We need to make it a space where everybody has access to it. So I think those things are really important before we get into housing, but I think the ferry needs to happen quick,” she said.
Salih said she welcomes all input from residents to help build a plan the community can get behind.
“I’m hoping that they come in with all of their passion, all of their ideas, what they value, what they love about their community, so we can reflect that in our planning policies and planning recommendations,” she said.
The Mill Cove ferry is slated to transport passengers between Mill Cove and downtown Halifax using zero-emission ferries. The service is expected to reduce travel time on the Bedford Highway and help alleviate demand on existing corridors, including Hammonds Plains Road.
The federal government committed $155.7 million to the ferry project, while the province committed $65 million and the municipality was set to pitch in about $40 million.
The ferry service was initially set to begin in 2027-28 but was delayed due to land negotiations. It is now expected to begin operating in 2030.
Residents who want to submit feedback online can visit engagehalifax.ca/mill-cove.
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