This zoning change now gives the citizens of Pointe-Claire a voice for future "Drake Forest" project proposals.
The city of Pointe-Claire has re-zoned its “Drake Forest” located behind the City Hall. The forest, which was planned to be used for future developments, was previously zoned as “institutional”, meaning that the city can build anything on the property without public approval. It has now been re-zoned to “parks”. Because of this, any new project that is being planned on the forest can be subject to a potential referendum, giving citizens control.
“We wanted to give the citizens a voice in the future if we do decide to develop.” said a Pointe-Claire city council member. “We’ve seen too many situations where the citizens disagree with the decisions but are legally bound”.
Unfortunately, parking issues have prevented the city from protecting the entire forest. According to the city council, this isn’t an issue. “We protected most of it, around 75%, which I think was fine. Regardless, we are still under public scrutiny.”
This new zoning is seen as a major victory for the city and its citizens.
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