Sparks fly over Pioneer demolition plans
At 2 a.m. last Friday, the Pointe-Claire demolition committee announced its decisions to a crowd of exasperated, bleary-eyed Pointe-Claire residents and the reaction was immediate and rancorous.
Shouts of “shame on you” drowned out the formal explanations of the three-member committee’s unanimous decision to approve the demolition of the Pioneer bar and restaurant. At least two citizens marched toward Mayor John Belvedere to yell their discontent in his direction before slamming out of the cavernous meeting room at the Holiday Inn Pointe-Claire. A security guard flanked the mayor who left the room as the mood continued to flare.
The committee, comprised of councillors Paul Bissonnette, Eric Stork and Brent Cowan, voted on two issues, Friday.
After announcing the approval of the demolition, they announced their unanimous rejection of a proposed condo development for the site based, in part, on concerns over parking issues. But by that point, the remaining residents were so upset, some didn’t hear the news.
The demolition permit cannot be given to the developer Gregory Koegl until a project for the site is approved. Koegl, who attended a portion of the meeting and addressed the combative crowd, has two options. He has up to six months to come up with a new plan for the site, which will have to go through the same city analysis as the first plan did, or he has 30 days to appeal the decision. If he appeals, it will be city council who decides if the demolition committee’s rejection stands. Friday afternoon, Koegl told a reporter that he had not heard from the demolition committee about what their specific concerns were about the project and the parking. He said he could not make a decision about his next move at this time.
The appeal process — for either decision — is open to any citizen of Pointe-Claire, with the same 30day deadline. The Société pour le Sauvegarde du Patrimoine de Pointe-Claire plans to appeal the demolition decision.
The 6.5-hour meeting began with a crowd of more than 300 residents eager to voice their opinions. The majority who spoke were distressed about a trio of issues — the demolition of what they saw as a building of heritage value located in the heart of the Pointe-Claire Village, the proposed plan to build a luxury condo development, which they saw as an aberration better suited for an intersection in Laval and the way the city handled the sale of an adjacent parking lot.
There was also concern about the impact the condo build would have on the adjacent Alexandre Bourgeau Park and its facilities.
Citizens voiced frustration that the city had put the Pioneer-adjacent parking lot up for sale, but did not advertise the fact.
Société pour le Sauvegarde du Patrimoine de Pointe-Claire vice-president Andrew Swidzinski stepped up to the microphone to say the city had sold the adjacent parking lot at a significant loss, based on a market evaluation the society had commissioned.
He said the sale made it look like the city had gotten into the development business. Following the vote, Swidzinski said he remained bothered by the nature of the sale of the lot.
Bissonnette said the property had been up for sale for years and only one person stepped up with a serious offer. However, one other offer was tabled in the 11th hour by Paul Parfette who owns a garage on Ste-Anne St., just around the corner from the Pioneer. He told a reporter that he is still waiting to hear back from Pioneer owner Diane Marois.
Marois’ sale of the property remains in limbo. No other offer can be entertained until the first offer has run its course. A final sale is contingent on a plan by the developer being accepted by the city. Marois attended a portion of the meeting, but left after hearing more than one resident complain about how she had let the property deteriorate. “I couldn’t take the insults anymore,” Marois said.