mrc

By Trevor Greenway

La Pêche has adopted its new zoning regulations to provide more diversified housing for low-income families, young professionals and first-time home buyers. 

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux told the Low Down that the municipality adopted new zoning regulations earlier this month that will see up to 45 units per hectare in the urban perimeters of Wakefield and Masham. However, he was clear that both towns are broken up into multiple zones, and it’s unlikely that developments or housing projects will actually reach the maximum allowed density. 

“The approach that we have in each urban perimeter is a zone-by-zone approach,” Lamoureux explained. “The zoning is not uniform throughout each urban perimeter.”

Lamoureux said that, despite some online rhetoric suggesting zoning is increasing at an alarming rate across the entire municipality, the global maximum of 45 units per hectare in urban perimeters isn’t changing from the previous zoning bylaws. He added that, in many cases, the maximum density of 45 units won’t be reached, as each urban perimeter is broken up into separate “zones,” each with unique conditions and challenges. 

“There are a number of factors to take into account, like groundwater, waste water, treatment systems that are available in this location; [and] the size of the lots that are considered by developers,” said Lamoureux. “There are restrictions on the number of units per building that vary throughout each zone. There’s a series of criteria that are different from one zone to another. So, the maximum theoretical density is rarely actually attained.”

Lamoureux said the urban planning changes were democratic, as La Pêche held several public consultations in Masham and Wakefield over the winter before adopting them. He said he is proud of the outcome, as it will make it easier for young families and first-time home buyers to enter the housing market. 

“The issue that many MRCs like ours have is that we have very uniform housing opportunities, like single dwellings, and that’s a major factor for people who are trying to either downsize or access their first property or access a rental property,” he said. “The way to counter this is to focus on your urban perimeters and diversify the kind of housing that is available.”

Lamoureux also explained that already fully developed areas won’t see many changes. He used the example of a neighbourhood in Masham that is “90 per cent developed,” and said residents won’t wake up to see apartments being built on the final lot. 

“In a neighbourhood where 90 per cent-plus of the neighbourhood has already been developed, and it’s very uniform, we’re not going to come in and allow new densities and new buildings with more units than it actually currently has.” 

La Pêche is hosting an information session on the urban planning process on June 19 at its town hall in Masham at 7:30 p.m. The meeting can also be streamed online virtually.