Beaconsfield residents express concern over Elm Plaza condo project

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Citizens of Beaconsfield got their first glimpse of a potential Elm Plaza redevelopment project on Tuesday.

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The strip mall at 275 Elm Avenue was recently purchased by a numbered company for more than $9 million, and promoters of the new mixed-use project unveiled preliminary designs at a public consultation held at Beaconsfield United Church .

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The high density project includes 138 units and 14 townhouses. There are also some commercial spaces on the ground floor.

The townhouses are 3 storeys and the main residential building is 4 storeys or 5 storeys including the setback mezzanine level.

Zoning amendments approved by the City Council will be required if the project moves forward. The property’s current zoning is for commercial use up to two stories only.

Commercial real estate broker Joseph Acoury, who is affiliated with the project, said the public consultation would allow citizens to provide input on the project before a formal proposal by the developer is presented to city planners in the coming weeks. I was.

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According to Akoury, Beaconsfield residential residents who want to downsize and move into condos will like the project. “They want to stay in Beaconsfield,” he said.

The project has 211 parking spaces, including underground parking via Fairway Drive. 30 bicycles can be parked.

“We don’t pass through residential areas, so traffic isn’t an issue,” says Akoury. “And it’s near the train.”

Several residents who attended the consultations told the Montreal Gazette that they were unsatisfied with the original design and that the developers should go back to blueprints.

Susan Yeager pointed out that the project exceeds the current two-story limit permitted by the Beaconsfield ordinance.

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“It doesn’t give the full picture,” she said, looking at the concept drawings on display. “They call it four stories and a mezzanine, which means it’s actually five stories high.”

Rowan Street resident Melissa Thibodeau isn’t opposed to the mall being redeveloped, but she wasn’t impressed with the overall design.

“I’m all for building in Beaconsfield. It should. It makes more sense for the environment,” she said.

“I read that 84% of the land in Beaconsfield is already developed. We have this prime location here to do something really special with mixed commercial and residential use. I feel like this doesn’t represent it well — it doesn’t for the region or for me, anyway.”

Thibodeau said the neighborhood could use some new commercial products.

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“I wish there were independent supermarkets, bakeries and cafes in the area north of 20. That’s how it is. All of us who live around here were able to walk there.” .”

Yeager, who grew up in the neighborhood, said the current mall has been around since the 1980s and is due for renovations.

But the addition of over 150 condominiums/townhouses along Elm Avenue will indirectly increase vehicular traffic at the already busy intersection of St. Charles Boulevard. Highway 20 near Beaconsfield station.

Resident David Newton, who grew up in Beaconsfield, also had traffic problems.

“I am concerned about walkability and accessibility. I am concerned about the total load of cars and traffic. So safety is also a consideration. If so, just adding lots of housing won’t offset it.”

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Newton isn’t worried about the scale of the big project, but others said it might be. No direct impact, but I can understand why others are (worried).

“Clarity of commercial space…and traffic considerations are big issues for me.”

Some residents also want current mall tenants to remain separate from new projects. company is in.

Several city councilors, including local councilor Roger Moss, attended the hearing but were unwilling to comment on the project’s strengths and weaknesses at this time.

Mayor Georges Boulel will also not comment until the project is submitted to parliament.

If the site’s zoning amendments are ultimately approved by Congress, nearby residents can oppose the zoning changes by requesting public registration, which could trigger a referendum.

Resident Marie Leveil is against the project and has already collected signatures for a petition to stop it.

jmeagher@postmedia.com