New Apartment Faces Opposition on Des Meurons

Des Meurons has always been a mix of everything. It has a fair amount of through traffic with industrial, residential and commercial literally next to one another. There has also been a fair amount of new house building that has gone up as close to the Seine River as possible. Some streets are like Wildwood Park with alleys and houses facing each other in park-like environments. There is a lot of green space in the area.

Residents of the area have lived next to mixed industrial and commercial space for decades. Such spaces pre-date many of the homes in the area and complaints about moving them probably would fall on deaf ears. The owners of 470 Des Meurons though decided their business would do well to move to one of the newer industrial parks as is their right to do so. The neighbourhood was excited to see the for sale sign go up at Overhead Doors. It isn't entirely clear what they might have expected.

Once the land was sold, developers with a record for lowrise apartments, began the consulting phase for a six floor apartment. The well heeled streets nearby became upset at the height and encroachment as well as too few parking spaces. The zoning department has indicated the neighbourhood has a point on some these issues but there seems to be a concerted effort to tank the project and claim it is because it is an indigenous heritage site. 

 There once stood a residential school on the site 120 years ago but it had long since burned down and no one was every buried there. No historic claim was raised while it was industrial land and one shouldn't be imposed now. Nor should any new owner be forced to give up the land. A plaque is acceptable but taking advantage of a claim to cancel an apartment is gross.

Freedhome, the builder, is already building an apartment of similar size on Provencher that will be owned by First Nations. That place also had resistance. Everyone always says such projects are good except when on their own street. Then it it doesn't fit the character. There is nothing wrong in trying to get the best design but the hope for a park or one floor housing is an attempt to cripple anything at all. The neighbourhood should consider themselves lucky another industry didn't decide to continue on the site.

The irony is that some in the neighbourhood might seek multi-unit places at different stages in their life and have to move far away. Ask people in River Heights about that. Just a block over is a building that comes right to the street and stands just as tall. It is an older building but it shows it can co-exist with the rest of the neighbourhood and it does fit.

The whole thing goes before Council next week and the feeling is that a decision will get kicked past the fall civic election. The slow walking of approving something can last 10 or 15 years in many cases. Much of the housing being built this year has been going through zoning and revisions for give years or more. A lot of development has simply been abandoned over the years. 

Everyone agrees we need new housing. Too many people think it should be located away from them. The city should give a sympathetic hearing to concerns but a memorial park for a school 120 years in the past is not in the cards. A park in general is not in the cards. Refusing any commercial, residential or industrial use is not in the cards. The city must not give in and only allow about 6 or 7 monster houses with room for parking several cars. We already see that in the neighbourhood.

I think at this point the city should be able to address some of the issues of the zoning department. The one thing they shouldn't do is kick the decision to the next council and leave the property vacant only to be burned down in an arson.