The ARP urban planning committee has been very busy in recent months. The following is a brief account of the main issues.
Western Ecocentre
To address the concerns expressed by residents during consultations held in spring 2022 on the proposed zoning change for the establishment of a western ecocentre along Vanier Road, the City of Gatineau has established a working group for the future western ecocentre in spring 2023. The mandate of the working group was to examine the location of a site for the future western ecocentre, to assess its impact on the environment and its impact on the neighborhood. The working group is composed of citizen citizens of the City of Gatineau, two community organizations, representatives of the City of Gatineau all animated by a facilitator to lead the working table, meetings and drafting of the report. The ARP participated in the work. The working group held several meetings, met with several consultants, visited the site and the report containing a series of recommendations will be submitted to the city management at the end of August. The Report is expected to be released this fall. Ecocentres offer citizens the opportunity to dispose of various recoverable materials in responsible ways such as bulky waste, construction waste, compostable and recyclable materials, electronics, hazardous household waste, tires, metals, textiles, asphalt shingles and Styrofoam.
Development on Vanier Road - Interim Control
Last winter, the ARP supported Plateau City Councilor Bettyna Bélizaire's efforts to have the city adopt an interim control by-law restricting real estate development in the Plateau and the western sector of the City of Gatineau. The Plateau sector has experienced very significant real estate development in recent years and infrastructure such as roads, public services such as public transport, parks, schools, leisure, sports facilities are not able to keep up. The situation is even more glaring along Vanier Road bordering the Destination Vanier shopping center.
At the municipal council meeting on July 4, the city rejected a developer's request for the construction of a 10-storey facility with 430 dwellings on the west side of Vanier Road in the district of Deschênes. The ARP has approached Deschênes municipal councilor Caroline Murray. The latter was able to convince a majority of councilors on the municipal council to reject the proposal. The ARP would like to acknowledge the efforts of Councilor Caroline Murray.
Central Park - Next phases of development
The ARP participated in consultations on the next phases of Central Park. The city hired a consulting firm that produced a master plan for the development of Central Park. Several meetings were held this winter and last spring. The city is expected to conduct public consultations this fall. We encourage you to participate in large numbers to follow up on the next phases of development of the central park.
I wish you a pleasant summer and the pleasure of meeting.
Alain Pilon Head of the ARP Urban Planning Committee.