Royalmount

To ensure our quality of life, Team Peter Malouf will oppose residential housing in Royalmount and re-evaluate all current PPUs *.

* Special urban planning program (PPU)  or Specific Planning Program (SPP)

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Team Peter Malouf recognizes the relevance of revitalizing this sector of Town of Mount Royal, but the strong concerns raised by the Royalmount project in its current form make it unacceptable.  

After studying and analyzing the conclusions of the public consultation organized by the City of Montreal, the impact study on travel conducted by WSP, the technical advice provided by the Service des infrastructures, de la voirie et des transports - Direction des transports and the 70 briefs submitted on the Royalmount Project (2018-2019), the impact studies conducted by various specialists and working groups that have been made public for nearly 5 years, Équipe Peter Malouf is of the opinion that:

In its current form, and its environmental, social and economic impacts, this project does not respond in a sustainable manner to the challenges and needs of the metropolis, the metropolitan community and even the Province of Quebec.

Recently, voices have been raised to request a referendum on the issue. But would a referendum alone solve the many related problems and be the royal road to the disappearance of major impasses in the sector?

We think not; studies show that the Royalmount project will have major negative impacts on an already over-saturated area.

key arguments on which our reflection was based:

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Complexity of the sector's properties:  

This large territory is geographically fragmented into large private lands and is also administratively fragmented between different jurisdictions. Since the beginning of this project, no overall strategy has been established with the different owners to plan the physical development of the area.  

The area is completely enclosed by railroad tracks and a highway system. There are no short, medium or long term solutions to open up the area. In addition, there is currently no mandated entity to plan real estate and mobility projects in the area and on the adjacent highways, despite the recommendations of the Florence Junca-Adenot report.

The lack of coordination between many authorities is problematic: Two boroughs of the City of Montreal, as well as Mount Royal and Côte-Saint-Luc, the MTQ, ARTM, STM, CP and CN in addition to the higher planning authorities (Conseil d 'Agglomeration de Montréal, CMM, MTQ, MAMH) must assume responsibility for the overall framework and objectives.

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Other hazards of the site and its surroundings:

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Lack of a continuous street network and presence of huge blocks limiting the attractiveness of active and public transportation.

Complexity of accessibility for all types of users.

Few direct accesses from highways

No direct link to REM and metro

Creation of increased vehicular traffic and conversely a decrease in safety.

Traffic on local roads by heavy and individual vehicles.

Opening up traffic to trucking at all times in a residential area.

Need to cross the A-15 highway right-of-way to reach the De la Savane metro station.

Lack of infrastructure dedicated to active transportation, and an unfriendly, even dangerous immediate environment (presence of heavy vehicles and private vehicles) for active users.

Limited availability of the bus line that serves the territory only during rush hour and on weekdays.

The projected maximum land use coefficient (LUC) is very high on the Royalmount site compared to other commercial and residential areas in the Town of Mount Royal.

Absence of plans to mitigate the impacts of highway nuisances: constant noise, dust, air pollutants, lighting and heat islands.

Obsolescence of the functionality of the unstructured urban fabric.

Lack of a global vision, of a coordination of the dynamic relations between the new redevelopment projects (Triangle Namur / Jean-Talon and the former Blue Bonnets racetrack) near Royalmount which will attract several thousands of residents in 15 years and which will almost double the automobile traffic in the sector.

Presence of toxic products in the industrial sector.

Risk of devitalizing downtown Montreal as well as the neighborhood commercial centers and hubs.  

The need to transform the Urban planning and development plan.

The erosion of the sales of the existing commercial structure between 0% and 15% and 6% in the downtown area.  

The absence of impact studies on the environment and sustainable development, on public health and on social development.  

The importance of the costs associated with traffic congestion in the greater Montreal area.

The difficulties of several businesses established in the Namur / De la Savane sector to retain and recruit their workforce because of road congestion and the lack of public transportation in the sector.

Lack of a diversified housing offer that responds to the new socio-demographic trends as well as to the various income cooperatives, land trusts, social housing.

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Finally, the actors involved and the urban environment:

Lack of convincing commitments from the developer on the issue of the complementarity of:  

The commercial offer between the Royalmount project and the other commercial poles may suffer serious consequences (Center Rockland, Downtown Montreal, Place-Vertu, Marché Central, Fairview, Marcel Laurin artery, etc.).  

The supply of local businesses and services between the Royalmount project and the local businesses in the neighborhoods.  

The cultural offer between the Royalmount project and the other cultural event hubs that will be in competition (Place des Arts, Bell Center, all the theaters and concert halls in Montreal, Salle André-Mathieu, Place Bell in Laval, temporary events such as Cavalia , Parc Jean-Drapeau, etc.).  

The residential offer between the Royalmount project and other large residential projects nearby (former Blue Bonnets area, Square Décarie, the Triangle, the TODs near the intersection of highways 15 and 40, etc.).

Our position on this complex challenge:

The current situation and the concerns of Monteregie residents about this project and its unknowns suggest that a call for a referendum is warranted. What would a referendum accomplish before all the negative aspects of this project are resolved? Nothing; because it would contain no requirement to resolve these negative impacts and no guarantee that they would be addressed responsibly.

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Do we need to spend more taxpayers' money to understand that this project does not meet the needs of Montereans?

We must take the time necessary to make this a truly sustainable, integrated project that benefits the Town of Mount Royal and the greater metropolitan area. The development of any project on this key site must, therefore, be as beneficial and sustainable as possible; consistent with the social, environmental and economic needs of the metropolis and respond adequately to contemporary issues of economic vitality and balance, mobility, sustainable development and social equity.

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CONSIDERING THAT:

Coordination and an integrated urban plan are necessary to achieve the desired objectives.

The impacts of the addition of the residential component to the Royalmount project are likely to be felt well beyond the borders of Town of Mount Royal, both in Montreal and in the greater metropolitan area.

These impacts could even affect the Quebec economy (congestion, delivery, delays, etc.).

The proposed physical mitigation and demand management measures are therefore not sufficient to the project's impacts on travel;

The Royalmount project is not a TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) at all, it cannot even be called a TAD (Transit Adjacent Development), since it is necessary to cross a highway and its two service lanes to reach the metro system.

There are many concerns expressed by the population and the lack of social acceptability surrounding the Royalmount project in its current form.

Team Peter Malouf is committed, first and foremost, to the preservation of the quality of life of all citizens of Town of Mount Royal.

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Team Peter Malouf:

Candidate for mayor | Peter J. Malouf, Business and Community Leader  

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District No. 1  |  Antoine Tayar, Communication and Government Relations

District No. 2  |  Maryam Kamali Nezhad , Hydraulic Engineer

District No. 3  |  Daniel Pilon , Retired Urban Planner

District No. 5  |  Chantal Sabourin , Environmental Expert

District No. 6  |  Sarah Morgan , Mechanical Engineer

District No. 7  |  Robert Tannous , Lawyer

District No. 8  |  Sophie Séguin , Actuarial Consultant

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