Brossard | 8,000 new homes despite a moratorium

The City of Brossard, which is experiencing spectacular population growth, will impose a temporary freeze on construction around the stations of the Metropolitan Express Network (REM), while exempting 8,000 new housing units from the application of its interim control by-law (RCI).

The Brossard city council adopted a notice of motion to this effect on Tuesday. The purpose of the by-law is to prohibit the construction of dwellings along Taschereau Boulevard and in the vicinity of REM stations until the City adopts a new urban plan.

“We have never defined maximum densities,” Mayor Doreen Assaad said in an interview. Based on the current craze, there is a potential of 57,000 new housing units in Brossard, according to current rules. For us, that’s high. We would be more in the order of half of this figure. With ROI, we give ourselves a moment to figure out where we want to go. »

Brossard, where 91,000 people reside, has approximately 40,000 dwellings. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the population grew by nearly 7%, gaining 6,000 residents.

“We have no intention of stopping development. But at the same time, as long as we haven’t defined the maximum number of units per zone that we want to accommodate, we don’t want development to take place all over the place,” explains Doreen Assaad.

Defining the vision of the future downtown Brossard is a priority for the mayor. “We intend to completely lift the RCI for June 2024,” assures Ms. Assaad. In addition, nothing prevents the withdrawal of certain areas of the RCI at an earlier date.

The moratorium applies to an area including Mail Champlain, Quartier DIX30 and the Chevrier incentive parking lots. Are excluded from the settlement: the Solar Uniquartier, Brossard-sur-le-parc, Éco-quartier de la Gare, the development of the land of the former Loblaw and the project piloted by Prével/TGTA, the latter two located Panama Ave. The number of dwellings authorized in these sectors exceeds 8,000 units.

This is the second suburban city to impose interim control around REM stations after Pointe-Claire, in the west of the island of Montreal.

The moratorium is the most recent in a series of gestures made by the city of the South Shore in recent months regarding urban development.

In February, Brossard hit new housing with a tax of $3,257, payable by the developer.

Last November, its mayor announced her colors in a speech before the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the South Shore, during which she expressed the city’s desire to regain control of its development.