Municipal Life

Dear residents:

On the day before the December session, residents approached Council about a residential development project on 64^e Avenue. Unfortunately, it seems that incorrect information has been making the rounds. The project in question, unveiled last September with public notices published in July, will be built on private land zoned for residential construction. Since it complies with the by-laws and zoning plan in every respect, Council could not turn the project down. In cases like these, our authority is limited to minimizing the new development’s impact on the community, especially in terms of preserving green space and controlling deforestation. The City will therefore ensure that the project is carried out in a way that conserves as many trees as possible while preserving buffer zones large enough to spare existing neighbourhoods as many negative effects as possible, as provided by our 2020 Tree Policy. I would like to use this project as a reminder that residential development in NDIP is something positive. Obviously, no one wants to see large condo complexes go up. Our development vision focuses more on low-density residential projects that fit the NDIP reality. That said, the emails I received often mentioned “our forests” and on that point I must make a correction. In fact, the forests where we walk are not necessarily on city land and are therefore not community property. They belong to landowners who, like the rest of us, pay tax on their property. Although we lack the means to buy up every private property, we own some land that will not only be conserved but also developed. A presentation on one such project is coming your way in early 2021.

Given that taxes generate 86% of the City’s revenues, residential development in NDIP is vital to allow us to continue providing municipal services at a cost that residents can afford. The municipal cost of living increases every year, and development is one strategy we use to minimize the impact on tax rates. To ensure transparency, Council will be holding an information session in January on future residential projects in our area and on the steps taken by Council to preserve the quality of life cherished by everyone in NDIP.

Finally, Santa, his wife and their elves graced the streets of Notre-Dame on Saturday and Sunday. I am glad to see that the holiday spirit is alive and well in NDIP. Families responded to Santa’s invitation overwhelmingly. More than 1,000 gifts were distributed and several thousand smiles brought to the many faces of residents and the team that handed out gifts. I am so grateful to the event’s organizers, the volunteers who participated and everyone who smiled and danced with us this weekend on the streets of NDIP!