HALIFAX: The provincial government is investigating the uses for a parcel of land in Antigonish County.
In a press release issued on May 31, the provincial government said it identified 37 sites from the provincial land inventory that could be used to build housing, including affordable housing, for thousands of Nova Scotians.
“I made a commitment to Nova Scotians to identify provincial land to create more housing stock and these sites represent a potential future home for thousands of people,” said John Lohr, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “While there is still work that needs to be done on these sites, we know communities across the province need housing and this inventory now gives more options to increase supply.”
The province said one of those sites is on Appleseed Drive, on the Post Road in Antigonish County.
In an email to The Reporter, Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing Spokesperson Krista Higdon said her department worked with Nova Scotia Lands, Nova Scotia Public Works, and others, “to review all known provincially owned vacant land in communities where housing needs have been identified.”
Higdon wrote that the criteria included available vacant or underutilized land of over 10,000 square feet.
“The site at Appleseed Drive is still going through the due diligence process and is not yet available for proposals,” Higdon wrote. “The size of the site, as well as proximity to the school and other services are part of what is currently being investigated on this site to determine suitability for housing.”
At this time, Higdon wrote that only the Appleseed Drive site was identified in the Strait area, but work to identify additional parcels in the provincial inventory is ongoing.
The province said it continues to work on 31 of the sites to ensure housing suitability, and when this work is approved, lands will be made available for proposals. They said each site goes through a due diligence process, including environmental studies, traffic sight line studies and planning analysis, and considers access to services like sidewalks and schools.
“I am pleased to see this process identify provincially owned land for housing development throughout the province, including some lots that are part of the Nova Scotia Lands portfolio,” Kim Masland, Minister of Public Works said. “This increased supply of land for housing will benefit these three communities and others in the future.”
In his mandate letter, the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs was directed to develop a full inventory of lands owned by the province and identify areas that could be used for housing, the province noted.
The province added that the Municipal Affairs and Housing 2022-23 budget included $900,000 to support the development of an inventory list.