Zoning troubles leave waterpark high and dry for now

A proposed water park business is still looking for a home.

Splashifax first tried to set up on First Lake in Lower Sackville and even applied for provincial and federal permits. After zoning ruled out the First Lake option, the company looked into a site on Lake Echo, but it also has zoning issues.

"It's classified as a commercial recreational activity and therefore does not apply to a community recreation use," said Coun.David Hendsbee, who represents the Lake Echo area."But I think there's a contradiction in some of the definitions."

Hendsbee also has questions about land-based rules being applied to water-based activities.He wonders if HRM"even has jurisdiction on that."

But the councillor acknowledges that it would take months for the company to apply for a rezoning, or to appeal a development permit decision to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. That makes the summer a "bit of a writeoff," he said.

Meanwhile, Dave Wolpin, a co-owner of Splashifax, said that other sites are being investigated, both within HRM and in other municipalities. But Wolpin did not want to comment further for now.