Just what is a ? Lots serviced by septic systems & bordering Parkland Dedication watercourses

Whether you and your neighbour are just frontage = 100 feet* (lot width=150 ft.) HRM requires the subdivider to to the swapping pieces of your lots or you are a lot for use as public parkland. lot area = 40,000 square feet a new and creating twenty lots, The size of the parkland equals ten percent of what you're doing is subdividing. Simply In certain areas of HRM some exceptions to the total area of the lots being created. Where defined, a subdivision is the division of any these standards are possible. Please ask it is not feasible to provide an area of land, A Guide to area of land into two or more lots, and includes our staff to explain them and to determine cash, in lieu of land, will be accepted. A cash a re-subdivision which alters existing lot lines, whether your property is eligible. donation is based on ten percent of the or a consolidation of two or more parcels of assessed value of the lots being created. All Subdivision land. Lot boundaries cannot be changed and Requirements cash is used for the acquisition of and new lots cannot be created without subdivision improvements to park areas. Parkland approval. donations are required before a subdivision All lots must have frontage on a public street or can be approved. highway or an existing approved private road. Lot Design Requirements In areas of HRM serviced by septic systems Where do I start? All lots require a minimum amount of road and wells, developments involving more than frontage and lot area depending upon where eight lots on a new road must follow the Open Stage 1 - Preliminary Evaluation your property is located. Lot sizes range from Space Design process. For more information, as small as 4000 square feet in areas with please refer to our brochure entitled, “A Guide If your proposal does not include the piped sewer and water systems to as much as to Open Space Development in HRM”. construction of new roadways, as your first 80,000 square feet in areas serviced by septic step, and before you hire a surveyor, we systems and wells. Due to soil conditions in Public are owned and maintained, for recommend that you submit a preliminary these areas, the Department of Environment the most part, by HRM. Some in the subdivision application. may require lot sizes that are larger than more rural areas and all arterial highways are HRM's minimum. owned and maintained by the NS Department Required Information of Transportation & Public Works. Requirements vary depending on where your Submit 8 copies of a sketch plan showing your property is located, and what is in place Approved private roads are those which have subdivision proposal to any one of our three on your property. In most cases, the following been designed to meet the width, grade and Development Services offices. This plan must lot sizes are the standard for single unit alignment of a public road but have not been be drawn to scale and show the following residential properties: built to public road standards. Because of the information: reduced construction standards, the number of Lots serviced with piped sewer and water lots able to be developed on private roads is “ the name of the property owner and limited in many areas of HRM. No new owners of the neighbouring properties frontage = 50 feet private roads are permitted in HRM. “ the approximate dimensions and area of lot area = 5000 square feet each proposed lot with each lot identified by a lot number Prepared by Community Development Lots serviced by septic systems This brochure has been prepared to provide basic information about the subdivision approval process. “ Development Services Division frontage = 100 feet* (lot width=125 ft.) the approximate dimensions of any Any difference between the contents of this brochure remaining lands lot area = 30,000 square feet and applicable by-laws, regulations, codes and January 2007 procedures shall be resolved by reference to the “ the location of all on the land * 200 feet is required where the lots front official documents. provincial trunk and route highways “ the location of any swamp, stream, lake, of new roads, the Subdivision By-law requires transferred to HRM. Any required parkland Where do I apply? river, ocean or any other watercourse the provision of a Concept Plan for the full contribution is also settled prior to final parcel(s) of land being developed. The main approval. The subdivision plans are signed by “ You may apply for subdivision approval at any the location of all public or private roads intent of this stage is to ensure a well co- the Development Officer and recorded at the one of the three Development Services offices ordinated pattern of development. For more Registry of or Land Registration Office. “ the location of any , rights-of- listed below. way, power lines, etc. information, please refer to our brochure This is the only stage where lots are entitled, “A Guide to the Subdivision Concept actually created or altered. Only after the West End Mall Branch Office “ Plan Process”. plan is recorded may deeds be finalized. a north arrow and a key plan showing the 6960 Mumford Road, Halifax general location of the land Information ...... 490-5650 Stage 3 - Tentative Approval Processing Your Application Fax ...... 490-4645 If you need help in preparing your plan, a sample sketch plan is available from our staff. This stage is optional and typically applies At each subdivision stage, your application is Sackville Branch Office Remember, the more information you can only if you are proposing new public circulated to other departments for review and 636 Sackville Drive, Lower Sackville provide us with, the easier it will be to process streets or are installing municipal services. comment. Comments are required from all Information ...... 869-4375 your application. applicable referral agencies before HRM can Fax ...... 869-4254 If new or extended roads or services are not approve your proposal. Depending on the After we have processed your application and part of your proposal, then you may proceed location of your property and the details of your Dartmouth Branch Office received responses from the applicable directly to the final approval stage. Servicing subdivision, these other departments may 2nd Floor, Alderney Gate, Alderney Drive referral agencies, we will write you advising schematics (centreline plan and profiles) for include: Information ...... 490-4490 whether or not you should proceed to the next the street system as well as the sanitary, storm Fax ...... 490-4661 subdivision stage. Our response is based on & water systems, where applicable, are “ The HRM Development Engineering group the comments received from the agencies as checked and, provided all design work is for comment on the central sewer services Office Hours well as the subdivision regulations applicable satisfactory, tentative approval is given. and road design 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to your property. Tentative approval is valid for 2 years within (except statutory holidays) which time an application for final approval “ The Halifax Regional Water Commission When you make application beyond the must be filed. for comment on central water services preliminary stage, you will have to hire a Who do I phone? design Surveyor to prepare a proper subdivision Stage 4 - Design Approval plan. At this stage, the detailed and fully engineered “ The HRM Parkland Planning group for HRM Development Engineering design proposals of the servicing systems and comment on the parkland dedication What's my next step? public roads are checked and approved by the Halifax ...... 490-5660 HRM Development Engineering group and the “ NS Department of Transportation for Sackville ...... 869-4375 After you have completed a preliminary Dept. of Transportation, where applicable. comments on road frontage and access Dartmouth ...... 490-4469 application (stage 1) and where no new roads After approval, you must enter into a where provincial roads are involved or services are required, there is only one construction agreement, which specifies the Halifax Reg. Water Commission . 490-4827 more stage; final approval. Where new roads timing and method of construction of the public “ NS Department of the Environment - or municipal servicing systems are planned, roads and the sewer, water, and storm Health Services Branch for soil testing of NS Dept. of Transportation ...... 424-5328 the approval of your subdivision follows a four drainage systems. proposed lots in unserviced areas where stage process beginning with Concept Plan septic systems are required Approval. Stage 5 - Final Approval NS Dept. of Environment and Labour “ NS Department of the Environment where Bedford...... 424-7773 Stage 2 - Concept Plan Approval Construction of all roads and services is a watercourse runs through or borders the Sheet Harbour...... 885-2462 complete, to the satisfaction of the HRM land being subdivided Where your project proposes the construction Development Engineering group. Roads are deeded and the operation of the services is