As houses go up, so does the green rate

All new residential construction in St. Laurent must be approved by the urban-planning committee and must adhere to two sets of rules: norms and discretionary ones.

"As far as our objectives and regulations, the committee basically makes sure that the projects we approve are coherent with the types of residences already there. In addition, thoroughfares and commercial areas, which historically are less aesthetically-pleasing, have been added to our mandate this year," said urban-planning division manager Eric Paquet. That's why parking lots in front of buildings are no longer permitted and buildings site as close to the street as possible.

Trees seem to disappear when new construction starts, and as Paquet was able to confirm, the perception in this case is the reality.

"There are norms that protect trees that aren't in the way of construction, but that is often the case," he said. That's why the committee requires that any trees knocked down must be re-planted - one every ten metres, at least. The bylaw applies equally to the industrial park and soon to the commercial sector as well.

"In new areas, 17 per cent of the territory is covered by trees, while the norm is 10 per cent. The extra seven per cent helps to retain water in the soil," Paquet added.

In the St. Laurent Techoparc, a minimum of 40 per cent of the territory must remain green space. Paquet said the "unique situation," given the territory's vocation, is something to be proud of.

A number of the Technoparc's green-space policy objectives and a number of other St. Laurent sectors are mentioned in the St. Laurent page of the Montreal Urban Plan, available on the borough's website.

Translated by Marc Lalonde