130-unit housing project part of plan to revamp shopping strip

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

A proposed plan that would transform a small rundown shopping plaza in Beaconsfield into a mixed-use commercial development with a highrise residential component that would include 130 units was given preliminary approval last month. Now, residents will have the opportunity to weigh in whether it should be allowed to move forward.

After Beaconsfield council on Sept. 25 approved what has been called “a first draft” of the proposal to redesign the Elm Plaza on 275 Elm Ave., Mayor Georges Bourelle said the project would better meet the housing needs in the municipality.

Developers are envisioning a mix of commercial and new residential space, which would include 13 townhouses and 117 condo units.

Beaconsfield’s aging population, many of whom are looking to downsized, are looking for condo options, Bourelle told The 1510 West. Though a final draft of the proposed project remains to be seen, a development like this would certainly meet this objective, he added.

But some residents are not as sure, expressing their concerns about the project at the Sept. 25 meeting.

Resident Ike Partington warned that the current proposal would “loom” over the existing neighbourhood and contravene several of the municipality’s bylaws.

The plans “don’t contravene our bylaws by centimetres or millimetres,” Partington said. “They are by whole metres, and some of them are multiple metres.”

To respond to these concerns, the project developers have organized a series of public information sessions to offer details and address questions from residents. The first session was held yesterday, with two more meetings planned for tonight, Oct. 18, and tomorrow, Oct. 19, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Elm Plaza.

Bourelle added that he hopes the information sessions are used by the developers to “get the feeling, the concerns from the residents of the area, and listen to them carefully.”

“Hopefully (the developers) will make some compromises to (their) final design,” Bourelle said.

A spokesperson for the developers did not respond to a request for comment.

Residents also will have the opportunity to express their opinions about the project during a public consultation meeting with city council on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Councillor Martin St-Jean voted in favour of approving the first draft of the project, but his support should not be considered an endorsement of what could be the final plan.

His ongoing support for the project will depend on whether residents continue to voice opposition following the consultations, he said.

“The reason why I voted in favour of the first draft being adopted is so that the public can actually get to see what is being proposed,” St-Jean explained. “After the public consultation meeting, the project can be tweaked.”

Cutline: Beaconsfield council last month approved the first draft of a plan to transform Elm Plaza into a housing project with 130 units and commercial outlets on the ground floor. Now, the proposal will be opened to public consulations.

Credit: The 1510 West