| Master Plan update Dear fellow citizens, This is a progress report on the Master Plan process. We are excited about what lies ahead and continue to be grateful to the anonymous donor who has made this process possible at no direct cost to the village. Citizens’ Master Plan Committees The Mandate 1 Committee has completed its work, including finalizing the RFP and establishing evaluation criteria. We would like to thank the four citizens for the incredible work they accomplished. The quality and professionalism they brought to this process was remarkable. The members of the Mandate 1 committee are Martin Troy, Sarah Segal, Jane Meagher and Nathalie Meunier. The municipality is pleased to announce that the call for tenders for the master plan was published on the official government website (SÉAO) on November 26. We can confirm that twenty companies have shown interest in our project. Some of them are urban planning firms with a impressive track record and a high profile. The next step will be for the Mandate 2 Committee, including the General Manager, the Mayor and one member of Council, to open and review the bids received, first to determine whether they meet the required standards. Once this has been established, the evaluation criteria created by Mandate 1 will be used to evaluate and finally make a recommendation to the council for approval. Mandate 2 will meet on January 10, and will meet again if necessary. The Council hopes to adopt a resolution awarding the mandate at the January 13, 2025 public meeting. Work schedule (master plan) Public consultations with municipal groups and citizens will begin shortly after the contract is awarded. We expect the selected firm to be with us throughout the winter and spring. The planning process and final report should be completed by the end of July. The report will be distributed to residents shortly thereafter. The firm will organize a public presentation of the results in August. The goal is to adopt the master plan at our September 2025 public meeting. Zoning change for C-4 We would like to clarify and explain certain elements in connection with the public consultation taking place this evening, December 10. A zoning change request for C-4 will be presented. The buildings in the C-4 zone are as follows: – The Pilsen – The dentist’s building – The convenience store – The garage directly behind the convenience store (soon to be a microbrewery) – The abandoned Grist Mill building (scheduled for demolition early this year). We’ve attached a map of the area concerned; there’s currently one person who owns a large number of properties in the town center, these properties are identified in blue, but the proposed residential space is identified in purple. This zoning change will primarily affect the purple zone. The owner had raised the possibility of a hotel, which could have been built without the zoning change. However, after meeting and discussing this with the owner, he supports our view that the need is for year-round rental housing in the village center. The zoning change will allow the construction of twenty-two apartments with commercial space on the first floor, including dedicated parking in the basement (the proposed space is outside the flood zone). He supported and revised his plans which we believe is an early beneficiary of our strategic planning process. He sees that the town is serious about our hopes for our village, his willingness to adapt his plans to accommodate our needs supports that. He has expressed his support in waiting until the plan is complete before any more development of his properties. The provincial government announced that they are expecting to issue new specifics about flood plains in 2025. We believe that with our master plan completed, this will give us a clear and detailed understanding of what will be required to move forward with future planning. For citizens who have been here for some time, you will recall a project involving three hundred residential units. The public spoke out and made it clear that the project was not at all in keeping with the rest of our physical environment. The project for a twenty-two apartments, in a reasonably attractive, is a far cry from what was envisaged twelve years ago. Bylaw 2024-754 adopted by Council in early 2024 ensures that the first floor must be commercial space, opening the door to new businesses to serve the community. The proposed zoning amendment would allow for a convenience store and multi-family dwellings (minimum 8 and maximum 24). The proposal will increase the height from 10 meters, which is currently authorized, to 15 meters when setbacks are possible and respected. It will abolish “hotel, motel and auberge” uses. This master plan will open an exciting new chapter for our village and provide a clear and comprehensive blueprint for current and future property owners in the area. Always keeping in mind that this project will be carried out by and for the residents of North Hatley. For more information, please attend the public consultation. |
