Halifax council to release Blue Mountain park info in September

The public will finally get a look at all the documents related to possible development in the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes area, but it won't come until a municipal council meeting in September.

At the regular council meeting Tuesday, council voted to defer further debate, and the release of a proposed map of the area that's never been seen publicly, until the Sept. 6 meeting when a staff report on the matter is complete.

• Blue Mountain park boundaries should include public feedback, says councillor
• Blue Mountain–Birch Cove Lakes park report has developer on the defence

The provincial government designated the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes site a wilderness area in 2009 and the municipality has been trying to establish a regional park around its perimeter for about a decade.

A 2014 facilitator's report suggests developers should be allowed to build housing on one side of the lakes within the wilderness zone.

'It's taken a decade to get nowhere'

Many people in the full council chambers left following the vote, frustrated about further delays in getting information.

Raymond Plourde, wilderness co-ordinator with the Ecology Action Centre, said it's been a "ruined summer" for people following the issue on account of delays, and he thinks council has been inconsiderate in how it's handled the issue.

"It's taken a decade to get nowhere," Plourde told reporters. "We are no further ahead than we were 10 years ago. The city has acquired exactly zero square centimetres of private land required for that park."

Plourde said he wants to see everything released, including how much the developers want for their land, but he thinks council will need more time to make a decision when all the material comes out in September.

"I sure hope that they're not just planning to making some snap votes right then and there."

Review a live blog from Tuesday's meeting below. On mobile? Click here to follow the live blog.