The Region of Queens Municipality has revoked a development permit for a beachfront property being built by former Halifax mayor Peter Kelly, an area councillor confirmed.
Kelly and Diana Girouard co-own the property at 112 Eagle Head Rd., and the development was being built right past the high water mark of Eagle Head Beach.
Some residents in the area have opposed the development, which started in mid-June, saying it poses a risk to wetland and wildlife and cuts off a footpath the public uses to get to the beach.
In late June, the property owners were fined $687.50 for altering a watercourse on the property by partially infilling a pond to widen the road. The contractor was also fined $1,157.50.
Late Tuesday evening, Vicki Amirault, the councillor for the area, posted on Facebook that the municipality had revoked the development permit for the site, “based on the legal advice received by the Municipality’s legal counsel.”
She said she could not comment further “because this is now a legal matter.” Amirault also declined further comment when reached by phone.
Peter Leslie, a member of the resident group Save Eagle Head Beach, said without further details they don’t know much about what this could mean.
“We’re cautiously optimistic that that means somebody’s actually looking at things,” he said.
“But as you know, a new development permit could be issued tomorrow, so we just don’t know anything.”