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Decisions for 286 Du Bord-du-Lac – Lakeshore Road – The historic character of the Village will be preserved
The mayor of the City of Le Pointe-Claire, John Belvedere, announced at a public meeting yesterday evening that any new building in Pointe-Claire Village must respect its historic and heritage character in order to preserve the Village’s identity and the special interest of the area.
This announcement is in the spirit of the decisions rendered for the project for 286 Du Bord-du-Lac – Lakeshore Road and includes a draft by-law to temporarily suspend all new mixed-use and residential constructions in Pointe-Claire Village in order to improve the rules.
This protection of the Village’s identity follows City Council’s decisions for the building of the former restaurant-bar Le Pionnier, which were to approve the demolition of the building but to refuse the project for 4 businesses and 15 condos as presented by a private developer who wants to redevelop the site and part of the adjacent municipal parking lot.
City Council ruled that the demolition could not proceed unless an acceptable replacement project is approved.
“These decisions were taken after hearing and reading the arguments made by several hundred citizens, all of whom are concerned about the future of the Village and together want to preserve its identity,” stated Mayor John Belvedere.
“The Pointe-Claire Village Special Planning Program was adopted in 2016 after three years of initiatives to make it a prime location where people can live, work, and enjoy themselves, while being an attractive destination for the entire West Island. We must admit that the urban reality has drastically changed in a very short amount of time, and it is now clear that we must make changes and clarifications to our by-laws, especially for the Village core in order to preserve its built heritage,” said Mayor Belvedere.
In the meantime, as the project concerning the former restaurant-bar Le Pionnier predates the implementation of any new by-laws, City Council has specified that any future project for this site must reconstitute the two facades of the original hotel that existed in the 20th century as faithfully as possible, including horizontal clapboards and balconies. Moreover, the materials used must be high-quality, durable, and visually similar to those used for existing historic buildings in the Village. In addition, the maximum height of any new building cannot exceed the height and volume of the current building. If the building is expanded, the maximum height of the expansion cannot exceed two storeys or two thirds of the total height of the existing building.
City Council also decided that, in the case of the project for the former restaurant-bar Le Pionnier, any future transaction related to a municipal property must be made at fair market value, confirmed by a third professional appraisal.
“We would also like to restart partnership processes with the Société pour la Sauvegarde du patrimoine de Pointe-Claire in order to consult with its officers when there is a question of heritage,” added Mayor Belvedere.
Over the next few months, various processes will be implemented to revise the current by-laws for the Village and consult residents.
“All of these changes will be included in order to ensure the integrity of the Village, the quality of life of its residents, harmonious developments, and the prosperity of business owners in a spirit of sustainable development,” said the mayor of Pointe-Claire in conclusion.
Information: 514-630-1200, communications@pointe-claire.ca