“At the heart of the eco-territory (the gray zone), particular regulations will apply to protect the borough’s natural areas.
(Photo: Courtoisie)
Agreement on urbanization regulations
Less place for cars, more room for bikes
Modifying the urbanization regulations is a necessary undertaking in order to conform to Montreal’s urban plan and the document’s complementary plan. Revising the regulations has many different implications, notably for greenspace protection, building height, and especially parking. It is a complicated administrative procedure with certain effects.
The revision of the regulations, which has just been finalized, was submitted during a public consultation on Feb. 18.
Unlike the number of rules affecting parking, the number of people who showed up for the consultation was very low, as only four people were present and none of them were actual citizen of St. Laurent. Here is a summary of the anthology of new rules that should be submitted to the executive committee before coming into effect at the beginning of April, if the process goes according to plan. There are a lot of issues covered, such as natural heritage, the minimum and maximum number of parking spaces for automobiles and bikes, heritage buildings, etc.
Echoes of eco-territory
Criteria were added concerning construction projects located less than 30 metres from a forest, wetland, water source, in the heart of the eco-territory (the zone limited to the north-west section of the borough). Objectives were set for tree conservation outside of parks, in private domains. Outside of the eco-territory, other protection measures for wooded areas have already been taken, for the Marcel-Laurin sector, for example.
Bikes take their place
Provisions to raise the amount of parking spots for bicycles made up a significant part of the rules. For example, a multifamily parking area must include one bicycle spot per five units or rooms. The commercial, industrial, and public sectors are also affected. “We tried to respond to the primary demands of citizens who get to work by bike,” said Éric Paquet, head of planning and management of the territory. As for automobile parking, it is the inverse situation: parking located near metro stations and certain train stations will be limited to a 500-metre radius. The goal of this rule is to promote public transportation, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
The specific regulations will apply to the residential, commercial, and industrial sector as well, including Old St. Laurent.
“The elected officials took advantage of this item to go beyond the minimal requirements projected in the complimentary document,” said Marie-Claude Gauthier, urban planning councellor. According to Mayor Alan DeSousa, this extra bit is being done voluntarily with sustainable development in mind.
Noise pollution and heritage
New buildings located near a noise pollution source (highway, railroad, etc.) will require a special study, ensuring sound levels will not go above 45 decibels in the units (40 decibels for bedrooms).
Another part of the document lists out-of-sector heritage buildings to preserve or restore. It includes 10 religious buildings, three residences (including the Maison Robert), and the Côte-de-Liesse convent. Finally, the implementation of architectural integration (PIIA) was included to add value to the city’s entrances and the main arteries of the borough. This new rule manages large-sized businesses, which “is not presently the case,” said Paquet.
The new regulations and their conformity with Montreal’s urban plan will still go through a few more administrative proofs before being adopted at the March 4 council meeting, and then by the executive committee the next day.
(Translated by Elyse Amend)
(Photo: Courtoisie)
Météo: Montréal, 4 juillet 2008 / 17°C
/ Ciel dégagé
/ Vents: 13 Km/h / Humidité relative: 83 % 
par Sylvain Sarrazin 
Steven Guilbeault - 
