Several citizens wanted to be present to express themselves on the plan to demolish the old boarding school and transform it into a ten-storey tower with 177 apartments.
They asked the company to reduce the number of units, suggesting that the project would cause visual and noise pollution and that it does not meet environmental standards.
Claudine Adam is one of the citizens who wanted to speak to elected officials. On the verge of tears, she denounced the derogation approved by the municipal committee on land management and development concerning the vegetation cover of the Bas-du-Cap sector.
The derogation is contrary to the ecological logic of the sector and could cause soil erosion, argued another citizen, who fears that the project will create heat islands.
Why are you going to build this in a heritage place?
asked Claudine Adam. She would like the City to reveal the environmental studies that authorize the construction of a 153-space outdoor parking lot near the future complex.
Not like the heritage district
Several points of the master plan for the revitalization of Bas-du-Cap are not respected in the architectural integration plan,
said Claudine Adam, who says she has lived in the area for more than 20 years. Some points would even be in contradiction with the city plan, in particular the notion of harmony, according to the citizen.
Some citizens agreed that the Bas-du-Cap sector needs to be revitalized, but not at any price. They were unanimous in thinking that the 177-unit tower is not in phase with the current look of the sector.
The promoter wants to be reassuring
Some trees will be felled, but each will be replaced with similar dimensions.
Calculations related to the vegetation were made beforehand, defended the representative of Olymbec, Robert Libml, Monday evening. The trees will not be felled to be replaced by buildings, but to facilitate the entry of heavy machinery, once the project is in the construction phase
he specified.
Generalized fear
Citizens say they fear not being listened to by the City, which, according to them, will prioritize the “big money” that the project will generate, only by their concerns. The project is certainly presented to the citizens, but the decisions have already been taken as to the progress of the project, relates a citizen.
An intervention that the architect Robert Libml rejected, inviting citizens to apologize to the City. It is, he said, a project on which Olymbec has been working for twelve months in close collaboration with the municipality, taking into account the concerns of citizens, in particular the heritage aspect and the environmental issue.
” To say that the city approves a monster project is not really fair because we are working with all the authorities to find the right balance between a building that could have a certain value that could justify the heritage restoration of the existing building, and make the neighborhood proud. The abandoned building had to be replaced. »
According to a citizen who spoke at the public meeting, the neighborhood is not even ready to welcome such a large population of new residents. The City has nothing to offer this population with only two gas stations and a convenience store
did he declare.
According to Claudine Adam, other places in Trois-Rivières could be considered for the construction of the tower, in particular the parking lot in front of the sanctuary and the old Aleris factory.
Others believe that the value of their residence will decrease with the arrival of such a real estate project and that it will participate in perpetuating the housing crisis by offering unaffordable housing.
” It will not be well seen not in the middle of a heritage with small houses. My house is going to look very small next to this. It will hide the landscape. It’s insane! »
A possible change?
The architect of Olymbec, Robert Libml, specifies that the project has already passed the stages of approval with the City. He regrets that citizens have not been able to attend public consultations related to the presentation of the project over the past 12 months. This evening is the final stage which consists of the authorization of demolition,
he asserted. However, he does not rule out the idea of responding to some of the concerns of citizens.
Moreover, he says he is unable to specify the true nature of the project, namely whether it will be standard rental housing or a residence for seniors.
We have been approached by several operators of residences for the elderly, so it is not excluded as a possibility. For the moment, it is a rental project, and it must meet market standards
he concluded.
Pressure on elected officials
Mayor Jean Lamarche said he took note of the citizens’ interventions. There are elements on which we will definitely work,
he promised. These include the preservation of vegetation and heritage.
Councilor Pascale Albernhe-Lahaie of the Trois-Rivières planning committee explained that this project has been scrutinized by the advisory committee on several occasions. The floors had to be reduced taking into account the impact on the neighborhood
. She said she understood citizens’ concerns, saying councilors would look into their recommendations.
Same reaction from Councilor Pierre Luc Fortin, chairman of the committee Ensure the management and development of the territory, who recognizes that the project is not cast in stone, and that it could undergo modifications according to the recommendations. citizens.
Councilors will meet in plenary session on July 5 to decide on the concerns and recommendations of citizens and authorize the progress of the project in its initial form, or not.
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca