JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West
New density levels outlined in the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal’s proposed development plan will not drastically reshape the character of West Island municipalities, officials with the regional authority say.
And CMM officials are encouraging residents to understand the full picture of the increased dwelling density targets laid out in its 2026-2046 development plan, often referred to simply as PMAD, the French acronym for the document’s official title: Plan métropolitain d’aménagement et de développement. The proposed plan was released last month.
According to the proposed update of the plan, the target for the number of dwellings per hectare for new developments in the West Island will be set at 52 by 2031, and gradually be increased until it reaches 69 dwellings per hectare by 2046. This is up from the 30 dwellings per hectare outlined in the 2012 version of the urban plan.
In zones within a one-kilometre radius of a train station, areas known as transit-oriented development areas, or TODs, the density levels outlined in the new development plan will be increased to 240 dwellings per hectare next to REM stations, up from 60; and 140 dwellings per hectare next to Exo train stations, compared with 40 in the current plan.
CMM officials pointed out the new density thresholds “apply exclusively to new residential constructions, and do not apply retroactively to existing buildings,” said communications adviser Jennifer Guthrie.
Guthrie also pointed out that density levels are measured differently in the updated development plan compared with the existing plan.
“The density thresholds in the 2012 PMAD were expressed as gross residential densities, calculated over the total area, including streets, park and public facilities,” Guthrie said in a statement to The 1510 West last week. “In contrast, the new PMAD expresses density thresholds as net residential densities, calculated only on the area used for new residential developments, excluding non-residential uses.”
But despite this modification, could the increased density mean a future of more high-rise apartment complexes and an end to single-family home development in the West Island?
Not necessarily, according to Laurence Pelletier, a research consultant for the CMM’s sustainable and prosperous communities department.
“The PMAD does not impose any height, lot coverage or dwelling dimension,” Pelletier explained, adding that achieving the new density targets will depend on the “different standards established by the cities.”
She gave an example of a four-storey apartment building with apartments each at about 1,000 square feet in size. The density per hectare of such a structure, she explained, would be over 100 dwellings, more than meeting the new target of 52 dwellings per hectare outside of TOD zones by 2031.
The new PMAD also does not outright ban the future construction of single-family homes, which make up the majority of residential dwellings in the West Island.
Pelletier explained that their construction “depends on a number of variables, including modulation of the density and the exceptions to the density identified in the PMAD.”
Kirkland Mayor Michel Gibson is a member of the CMM council. Gibson offered a written statement explaining that future residential developments in his town would focus on social acceptability, along with sustainability and infrastructure capacity.
“It is certain that new developments will emerge with varying levels of density (under the new PMAD), which will allow us to offer a broader range of housing types to meet the needs of our population,” Gibson stated. However, he added: “Let me be clear: We will not pursue development at any cost. Each project must align with the public interest, taking into account key considerations.”
Future developments in Kirkland, Gibson said, would be prioritized in the Lacey Green Village area, the RioCan commercial site next to the cineplex and near the town hall.
“The rest of our urban fabric is largely built out and consolidated, and we remain committed to preserving the same type of housing currently found in those areas.”
Gibson also pointed out that it will be some time before any increased density requirements go into effect.
The proposed new PMAD must first be approved by the Quebec Municipal Affairs Ministry, which has until December to do so. This will be followed by a process of revisions at the agglomeration and municipal levels.
“This process could take up to five years and will allow us to refine our strategy and vision for the future of our community,” Gibson stated.