Ridiculous Red Tape

Readers rejoice! After a mere three years of deliberation, Halifax City Hall finally gave its endorsement to the $80 Million Waterfront Hotel and Condo project of developer Ralph Medjuck of Centennial Properties. The last waterfront project to be approved by council was nine years ago for Bishop’s Landing, according to Counselor Sheila Fougere’s comments to the Halifax Herald.

With such enthusiastic adoption of progress and development in Halifax, who in their right mind wouldn’t want to flood the area with investment? “Yessir we do indeed want yer money and the jobs you will bring! Just pay this fee here and put yer proposal on dat dere pile by the door. Don’t worry, we’ll get around to it by the time your projections are all out of date.”

I don’t blame Mr. Medjuck for the frustration-wrapped relief he expressed today: “… economic changes, changes in monetary policy and mortgage rates and, most importantly, construction costs have soared,”.

But, let not my wrath fall on City Hall alone. I am sure things would run differently if our dear and powerful friends at the ‘Heritage Trust & Co.’ did not need to enjoy their precious view from their fort on Citadel Hill. With their estates and healthy retirement nest-eggs, who can blame them for being out of touch with the real needs of the people and the city of Halifax?

The needs for jobs, investment, business, development, trade, taxes, etc. seem to take a backstage seat to the Heritage group’s Veto power and their all important ‘view of the harbour from the hill’ argument. Who looks at the waterfront from the life-less hill anyway? The few remaining tourists that still visit Halifax are dwindling in numbers, and I don’t think the old cannons still need their line of sight to drive back ye old French invaders.

You think the average Haligonian on the street would prefer a harbor front view from a location they hardly ever visit over a $30K salary as a hotel employee or mall staff-person?

I have nothing against heritage. However, let us be reasonable and apply a simple litmus test when such proposals come abound. On one hand, count the people who will benefit from maintaining a waterfront view from the ceremonial fort, on the other hand, count the people who will benefit from the investment, jobs, and taxes from these developments. We are a government of and for the people, and if democracy was to be applied here, I am sure members of the Heritage group will be spending their evenings playing Bingo instead of vetoing important economic decisions of the city using non-economically based arguments.

When the call for ‘Heritage protection’ is causing an obvious loss of investment monies to the city, someone has to say something. Old things belong in museums, not on income/job/tax generating prime waterfront space.

Haligonians must reclaim their city from the clutches of centuries past and the people who want to maintain things today as they were back then: a sure recipe for economic disaster.