We live in the Purcell's Cove Area. Our community encompasses several hundred acres of untouched forest, wetlands and lakes. We love it here. Many residents have lived for generations in the historic village of Purcell's Cove. Many others have moved here for the natural beauty that surrounds us. Many residents from other areas of HRM also enjoy the hiking, swimming, biking, canoeing, kayaking and other recreational activities in the Williams Lake and Purcell's Cove Backlands.
When the Regional Plan was approved, it was clear that our community was designated Urban Reserve, which meant that there would be no development for at least 25 years. We breathed a collective sigh of relief. However, long before the area was designated Urban Reserve, our councillor, Linda Mosher was quietly working behind the scenes to ensure that sewer and water services would be extended to the Purcell's Cove Area. Councillor Mosher recently promised to uphold the Regional Plan. In fact, by promoting the extension of sewer and water services to this area, she is undermining the Regional Plan.
Very soon after Regional Council approved the Purcell's Cove Road Sewer and Water Feasibility Study, a vast tract of land adjacent to our beloved William's Lake was purchased by a development company. Since that time much anxiety, bad feelings and general angst have spread like a heavy blanket over our community.
Councillor Mosher insists that development will not occur.
"We felt it was so important to keep (the area) in a natural state. We are not allowing development," Mosher stated publicly after the Regional Council meeting on February 18, 2012. "There's barrens, there's water courses ... so I got an answer from Staff that the area is designated Urban Reserve."
However, in another statement to Regional Council on January 10, 2012, she contradicted herself when she said:
"We have a feasibility study now looking at extending water and sewer to Purcell's Cove. We've got about a thousand acres of land that could go up for development and that's a ticking time bomb."
If you want to elect a representative who is straight-forward and represents the interests of the majority of residents, you now know how to mark your ballot. Just ask the residents of Purcell's Cove.
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