Opening Comments by Mayor Peter J. Malouf - Regular Meeting of Tuesday, March 19, 2024

" Good evening to all and thank you for taking the time to join us this evening.

I will start by giving you a brief update on certain files, and then move on to more general updates.

Sports and Community Centre

As we had mentioned last year, I will continue to give you an up-date on the Sports and Community Centre project on a regular basis. I am happy to announce that a meeting was held last week with all 8 council members, myself and the administration to review the status of the project and take a joint decision on our next steps moving forward. It was a productive and informative meeting and we jointly and unanimously agreed on the guidelines for the project to move forward.

Therefore, I am pleased to advise residents that an information meeting with details on the project and how it is to be implemented will be held during the week of April 22. The exact date is yet to be determined but will be publicized shortly. I look forward to seeing you all present to learn more about this important infrastructure that residents are anxiously awaiting.

Athlone Sector Zoning Change

Please note that following the public consultation held last Tuesday on the proposed zoning change for the Athlone/Glengarry sector, we have not included the proposed zoning amendment in tonight’s council agenda and this in a spirit of open-mindedness towards residents. All 8 council members and I are continuing our discussions and reflections on the future of the file.

I can understand that residents are concerned about a zoning change for development in their sector. It is only normal, and it is for this reason that a consultation meeting is held, to inform residents and discuss it with them. In this case, despite discussions with area residents prior to the consultation meeting, misinformation was circulating, setting the tone for a meeting that was more confrontational than needed. Please rest assured that we are following a legal process and are respecting the laws set out by the government and we are here to listen to residents.

PPU Beaumont

The file for a special planning program (PPU in French) is moving forward well. Area residents have received (or are about to receive) a pamphlet advising them of the file. The area business community has been invited to a meeting with our professionals to discuss their needs, concerns, and vision for the sector.

In May, a citizen workshop with area residents will be held so they can exchange on the 5 main themes that will guide the redevelopment of the area. In June, the entire population will be invited to a presentation regarding the results of these comments and discussions. This is an important file and one in which resident participation will help council orient the future development of the area.

Urban Plan

The question of the Town’s urban plan gets brought up every so often. I wish to inform residents that council members have had several lengthy discussions on the matter during 2023 and came to the unanimous conclusion that the urban plan, as re-adopted in 2017, reflects well the Town’s vision and development orientations. However, certain zoning by-law modifications are needed to better frame and put in place some of the orientations put forth. Our administration is working on proposals, and we expect to be more advanced by the end of summer/early fall.

This ties in with two previous files I have spoken about. For the Athlone/Glengarry area, the urban plan identifies this area as high-density. Therefore, the existing corner duplex is in acquired rights as it does not meet the urban plan land use provision. As for the Special planning program (PPU in French) for the Beaumont sector, this file is in keeping with the urban plan as the sector is identified as a sector to be transformed. We are therefore following the orientation set forth.

It is possible that, down the road, depending on redevelopment of certain areas, a review of the urban plan is required, but this is not the case with either the Athlone/Glengarry file or the Beaumont PPU.

CodeRED

As mentioned by my colleagues previously, we will be testing our emergency contact system CodeRED on Thursday April 4, around 18:00. This will allow us to verify the numbers in our database and help residents familiarize themselves with the system. I encourage everyone to go to our web site and register on the CodeRED page.

Spring

As winter has come to an early close, our public works crews are getting ready for spring clean-up. Annual spring and summer projects will follow.

At this time of spring and renewal, I wish everyone happy celebrations of your various traditions.

Thank you once again for joining us."

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