Halifax Regional Council voted 14-2 to allow commercial, retail and office space in a part of the Burnside Business Park that was previously only approved for light industrial use.

The change came after a business was refused a permit because its proposed use was considered retail.

"Our real estate department was essentially out working to sell land and they made some commitments to some people that were unable to get a building permit," said Darren Fisher, the councillor for the area, at the meeting Tuesday evening.

Fisher says the Burnside expansion area has flat plots ready for development.

"There's a lot of interest. It's a booming business park."

Tristan Cleveland, co-ordinator of Our HRM Alliance, was the lone person at the public hearing on Tuesday to speak against the change.

"If the flexibility is allowing selling things like farm equipment, then we're not fundamentally against that," said Cleveland.

"We want to make sure that this does not allow unintended consequences for more American Eagles, for your Bay, for your bookstores to end up in business parks."

Cleveland says allowing more office space in Burnside will hurt downtown Halifax.

"If we see the majority of our growth happen in industrial parks, it means that local business will never be able to thrive in this city."

Fisher disagreed.

"The businesses that will go in that area aren't businesses that would go downtown anyway," said Fisher.

It will likely be another four to five months before any commercial or office spaces can break ground in the Burnside expansion area.