Page 2 - MPS LUB Update From Mayor Muttart
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SOME
HISTORY
That has changed. People are more transient.
They expect the same rules to apply throughout
the Province. It provides certainty and protects
LAND USE PLANNING values, landscapes and ecological integrity.
Prior to 1960, there were virtually no restrictions
applied by local government limiting what one Indeed, government is now requiring
could do with property they owned. Indeed, it municipalities throughout the province to adopt
seemed almost inconceivable to think that it land use plans.
should be otherwise.
DIFFICULT YEARS IN THE AGRICULTURAL
Global social studies concluded that social values INDUSTRY
mandate society to regularly examine and balance In the early to mid 2000’s, our local agricultural
individual rights and responsibilities against sector had just gone through difficult times,
community rights and responsibilities. particularly in the regulated and supported
Community, in some contexts, inferred global. sectors. There were many concerns for financial
viability. In addition, the demographics of farm
In the late 1960s, the concept of Land Use Planning families had changed and older farmers were
was introduced to governments and educational looking toward an opportunity to maximize the
institutions in Nova Scotia. value of their assets at retirement by changing
the agricultural value of their land to one of
KINGS COUNTY ON THE LEADING EDGE residential value.
Early in the 1970s, Kings County became an early
adopter. Single residences could be constructed in At that time, therefore, those on Municipal
R1 zones, multi-residential in R2 and R3 zones, Council (among them respected local farmers),
commercial in C1 zones, industry in I zones, etc. resolved to create a zoning exception category
that would allow some agricultural lots to be
Areas close to water received new protections. sold for residential development; specifically,
parkland was created and preserved, and so on. F1 lots that ‘existed’ as stand-alone parcels in land
protected forestry. A1 protected agriculture. descriptions that pre-dated 1994. In the result, if
Naturally, the zone within which a property fell you had a deed from the Farm Loan Board (or
also dictated the value or price one could obtain for anyone else) that contained 100 separate lots
the property, based, of course, on the demand for that had been accumulated to create what
that type of property. This was nothing short of appeared on the ground to be one lot of, say, 800
revolutionary – and yet readily became adopted as or 1500 acres, you might have, in reality, 30-60 or
the norm. more ‘pre-94’ lots, all of which would be eligible
for such development.
Kings County, over the years, has sometimes been
criticized as ‘not development friendly’ by folks Creeping up behind, but virtually coincident
who would prefer that these restrictions did not with all of that, a progressive movement toward
exist. It was always easier to do what one wanted, a more innovative, efficient, and diversified
where one wanted, in adjoining municipalities. agricultural community had begun.
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