Development is changing the look of Quinpool Road in Halifax and at least one newly elected member of the local business association wants to make some changes, too.

Gerry Lonergan has operated East Coast Bakery for about three years and was elected one week ago to serve on the board of the Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association. For the first time in the association's history, there were more board nominations than positions to be filled.

Better representation

"So many people were really expressing that they didn't have a voice, they weren't being listened to," said Lonergan.

"I want to better represent [them] and make it better for everybody."

Lonergan was also concerned by the decision of the board to support the Willow Tree Tower development without first

consulting the association's members. That development is a 25-storey apartment building located at the corner of Quinpool Road and Robie Street.

Karla Nicholson, executive director of the association, defended the board's right to take a stand on the Armco Capital project, but she added there are plans to do more polling of the members.

"Not just about development, a whole array of issues," said Nicholson.

"Parking, marketing, the Christmas campaign, is this the best use of the money?"

Advocacy role

There are about 150 shops, restaurants and services in the Quinpool Road district. They contribute $122,559 in levies to fund the business association.

The levies are approved and collected by the municipality, which oversees all eight business associations across the city.

There was controversy over the Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association's endorsement of Armco Capital's high-rise tower slated for the corner of Robie Street and Quinpool Road. (CBC)

"They have an advocacy, stewardship and marketing role," said city spokesperson Brendan Elliott.

"The city benefits from all that work."

Most business associations list their board members and post financial statements on their websites, information that was not available for the Quinpool association until after its most recent annual general meeting.

In fact, Lonergan said the first time he saw a complete list of the members was after he was elected.

Nicholson agreed the association's website does need to be revamped.

"I think we will put more of this information out there as time and resources allow," she said.

Lack of information

Jodi Tsitouras said she was also frustrated by the lack of information. She used to run SIX303 Eatery on Quinpool Road. It's now closed and Tsitouras is operating a daycare in Fairview.

But during the 2017 Christmas holiday season, she paid $250 for her own Santa Claus to help drum up business at the restaurant. Tsitouras found out afterwards that the association had also hired a Santa Claus for the street.

She also felt rebuffed when she tried to attend a board meeting.

"I was told, 'I'll have to see if you're allowed to come,'" said Tsitouras. "I thought really? I pay for this. I should be allowed to go."

Nicholson said all members are welcome at the board meetings, but admits the time and date of those meetings are not sent out to all of the members.

Larry Burke runs a marketing agency on Quinpool Road. For the past 15 years, the business association has been one of his clients. He is a newly elected board member and thinks the association has worked to make Quinpool Road a destination and insists all businesses are invited to take part through regular emails.

"The association has tried to be as inclusive as possible," he said.

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