OCPM Public Consultation on Southern NDG: Better late then never, says Peter McQueen

MONTREAL, July 11, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - NDG Councillor Peter McQueen welcomes the City Executive Committee's decision to mandate the OCPM, l'Office de Consultation Publique de Montréal, to hold public consultations this fall.  This consultation will shed light onto the situation in South-Eastern NDG.  It will orient the future Plan Particulier D'urbanisme, or urban plan, for the sector. The territory is bordered by Sherbrooke Street on the north, Westmount on the east, the St-Jacques cliff on the south and Cavendish Boulevard on the west.  This area thus covers the future MUHC and its surroundings, the Vendôme Métro, Sherbrooke Street, the Empress Theatre and the whole Saint-Raymond neighbourhood.

"Finally, NDG residents have an excellent opportunity to express their opinions on the future of their neighbourhood before professional, independent commissioners.  However, it has come very late.  For the last two years, construction around the MUHC and Turcot has already affected residents. In April of last year at city council, the Union Montréal majority defeated my political party's resolution calling for a plan for the surrounding areas of the CHUM.  Gérard Tremblay has suddenly accepted something he deems correct for NDG, but not for the Eastern downtown.  Where is the coherence!?" declared Projet Montreal leader Richard Bergeron.

Many transportation-related problems

The sector being studied has many important transportation issues. Some of these include:

• a bike bridge on the De Maisonneuve bike bath,
• access to active and public transit to the MUHC via Vendôme metro,
• the eventual arrival of the Train de l'Ouest,
• ramps in the Melrose tunnel
• traffic calming in general (for example, recommendations from the Quartier Vert en Santé proposal)

However, without the collaboration of Transports Québec during these consultations, the search for solutions will be in vain.  It is important to remember that during the Turcot reconstruction, all of the NDG access points will be affected: the partial or total closures of the St-Jacques and Girouard entrances, the complete reconstruction of the Sainte-Anne-De-Bellevue viaduct and the opening of the entrance ramp on De Maisonneuve.

"The OCPM has to convoke Transports Québec to the public hearings so that they can explain to NDGers the impacts of the roadwork and present how they will minimize congestion and detours to citizens.  I have already twice presented a motion asking for this at borough council but Mayor Applebaum and the other councillors would not even second my motion!" added McQueen.

Future of Saint-Raymond neighbourhood at stake

In addition to Transport Québec's roadwork, there will also be work by the central city: for example, the definitive closing of the Upper Lachine viaduct.

"The closure is incomprehensible because the viaduct is in good shape.  This viaduct could have been an alternative to the St-Jacques viaduct which will be in reconstruction for months by the MTQ. As well as further isolating the Saint-Raymond neighbourhood, closing the viaduct will prevent any commercial revitalisation of Upper Lachine.  It will also cause long and painful detours for passengers on the 90 and 104 busses," McQueen continued.

The MUHC could be a powerful catalyst for developing this sector. This consultation could be a unique occasion to boost this sector which has been neglected for many years.  The consultation has to also propose possibilities for reconverting or revitalizing the commercial sector and also developing Saint-Jacques cliff into a linear park, a natural jewel inaccessible to citizens.

"As a city councillor representing all the citizens of this area, I will be participating in all steps of the public consultation process.   As well, I hope that this pre-consultation will be followed, in the short term, by a Plan Particulier D'urbanisme for this sector something that NDG residents and myself have asked for since 2007.  This plan has to be the object of public consultation before the OCPM as was the case of the Namur-Jean-Talon area. Finally, I invite all NDG residents take the summer to reflect on what kind of neighbourhood they want in the future and to come out to participate in the public consultations this fall," concluded McQueen.

Catherine Maurice
Press Secretary, 2^e opposition
[phone] or [phone]
[email protected]