Global News illustrates sign erected by Kingswood Ratepayers Association
Saving Sandy Lake was the lead item on the 6 pm Global News Maritimes for Apr 13.
It begins with a a statement by Chris Bryant of the Kingswood Rate-payers Association: “You’ve got an area like this one were standing today you can’t build another one of these. Once it’s gone it won’t come back.”
A rough transcript from the broadcast:
This is Global News at Six. Thank you for joining us. I’m Megan King we begin tonight in Hammonds Plains Nova Scotia where residents will notice some new signage along the Hammonds Plains Rd.
The Kingswood Ratepayers Association recently purchased a large sign advocating to save Sandy Lake from development. For the chair of the association, it is all about raising awareness of the situation.
Angela Capobianco has more… seeing the unique qualities of the Sandy Lake in the Sackville River area preserved – that’s what residents of Hammonds Plains in Bedford want to see done to protect the ecological diversity of the area,.
Chris Bryant of the Kinswood Rate-payers Association: “You need another school build another school, you got an area like this one where we’re standing today, you can’t build another one of these’ once it’s gone, it won’t come back.”
A housing development is proposed for the West side of Sandy Lake. The province also announced the connector from the Hammonds Plains Rd. to Hwy. 101, which would cross the area of Sandy Lake that residents want to see protected.
Bryant says he’s not opposed to development but notes other places would be better suited which inspired the purchase of large signs in Hammonds Plains to raise awareness around Sandy Lake. “Certainly the evidence going back almost 50, 60 years is that this has been designated as an area to be preserved; all the other areas that were designated on the similar time have actually got protection.”
The Department of Public works says in a statement that they’re still in the beginning of the planning process saying that there will be community engagement about the project in the future. Clayton developments limited which owns the land did not respond to Global News’s request for an interview.
For Karen Mckendry, the biggest issue at Sandy Lake was designating it a special planning area by the province despite research highlighting the region should be protected. “ So we usually go to city councillors and there would be public hearing and people would have a say in whether development progresses there. That decision-making power was taken away by the province for this area and a few others. She adds her hopes are that the signs raise some awareness around community concern. ”So I hope it will draw more attention to the choice we have at Sandy Lake, the choice that the province is going to be making; maybe have people speak with their MLA’s about what they want to see for that area.”
The Department of Growth and Development also did not respond to Global News’s request for comment by deadline. Angela Capobianco Global News Halifax.