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Pharmaprix project goes to register
By Diodora Bucur, The Suburban
Photo by Rob Taussig, The Suburban
Claude Casgrain, centre, flanked by Nicole Tellier and Claire Donan: Project was kept quiet.
The C.D.N./N.D.G. council continued with the approval process for a controversial Pharmaprix drugstore/residence at the corner of Côte St. Luc Rd. and Decarie Blvd. despite mounting opposition from area residents who turned up in force at Monday night’s council meeting in hopes of blocking the project.
The project calls for the construction of a three-storey structure on the 2,500 square-metre-lot at the foot of Mount Royal, which will include the pharmacy and housing units for out-of-town employees of the Toronto-based chain.
The lot, currently zoned institutional, must be rezoned commercial/residential before the project can be approved. C.D.N./N.D.G. chairman Michael Applebaum is on record saying the lot is already zoned commercial and residential and that the June 1 public consultation was held only because the proposed 23 parking spots do not respect the bylaw.
However, borough spokeswoman Karine Massé confirmed Tuesday morning that a register will be held on the issue at a date yet to be announced. If a sufficient number of residents sign, the borough has the choice of putting the bylaw to a referendum or withdrawing it.
On Monday night, council approved the second reading of the project, with only two of the six-member council voting against the project.
But residents fear the project will increase traffic, displace greenspace and create visual pollution.
Anger flared at Monday’s meeting as 51 C.D.N./N.D.G. residents lined up to ask various questions including the project, forcing many to wait for more than three hours before they were able to voice their concerns.
Area resident Marc Rouleau was among dozens who expressed their frustration over the proposed project. He pledged to campaign against the Montreal Island Citizens Union in the upcoming municipal election if the councillors fail to support their demand.
“People took an unanimous stand against the project at the public consultation June 1,” he said. “If you are forcing us to vote in a referendum [on the project], I will have no choice but vote against the MICU.”
Resident Suzanne Desjardins urged the council to remove the project from the agenda.“Please, stop the project,” she told the council, prompting applause from the audience.
“People were not aware of the project,” added Claude Casgrain. “I and a friend of mine noticed the small billboard at the corner of Côte St. Luc Rd. and Decarie Blvd. and alerted people.”
Rouleau says the project violates the borough’s own urban plan that recognizes traffic as a problem in the area and urged the council to put a moratorium on zoning changes.
“Why increase traffic in the area when the urban plan says traffic is a problem?” he wondered.
C.D.N./N.D.G. megacity councillors Marvin Rotrand and Jeremy Searle agree the project will increase traffic in the area.
“I find it hard to believe that traffic will not increase at the busy intersection,” Rotrand said. “I’m not at ease with this project and I will vote against it.”
“I have a problem with the project,” added Searle, saying the borough services accepted the project two days prior to the June 1 public consultation. “The objective of the project is to attract traffic.”
But Applebaum called the project “the best of the worst,” considering that the promoter looked into building condos, a project that was discounted because of its proximity to the expressway.
As for the traffic issues, he said the borough’s services will be addressing the problem. Applebaum also said the project has the approval of the borough’s comité consultatif d’urbanisme (CCU).
2005-06-08 09:39:57
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Héritage N.D.G.