Referendum on luxury tower to take place on Nov. 24
Voters in Hampstead will have their say next month on the fate of an affordable-housing complex after the town council voted to allow a referendum on a project to build a new 10-storey tower on the site.
The referendum will be held Nov. 24 after councillors unanimously backed holding a vote, Hampstead Mayor William Steinberg said Monday evening at the start of a tumultuous council meeting that lasted more than two hours. About 2,000 people who live in the immediate vicinity of the project will be qualified to vote.
The proposed highrise, at 5781 and 5783 Côte St-Luc Rd., has met with fierce opposition from tenants of the existing buildings and some neighbouring homeowners. A petition signed by 252 citizens was submitted last week to request that a vote be held on the development.
Steinberg has been pushing for the multi-family project, saying it would bring in about $145,000 annually in additional tax revenue. He has also warned that the existing buildings are in bad condition and are rapidly deteriorating.
“My obligation as mayor is to do what’s in the best interests of Hampstead,” Steinberg said at the meeting, sparking howls of derision from some of the 20 or so attendees. “There are 7,000 residents in Hampstead. 252 out of 7,000 is a very tiny percentage.”
The proposed tower would include 89 residential units and as many parking spaces. Its top two storeys would be recessed to reduce the shadows on nearby buildings, according to the mayor.
If the project goes through, as many as five other towers are “in the pipeline” and could be built in the area over time, Steinberg told attendees without elaborating.
Some residents who spoke at the meeting criticized the mayor’s attempts in recent weeks to “tilt the scale” in favour of the development.
One woman, who didn’t identify herself, complained that the city failed to adequately post information on the process on its website, and distributed at least three pamphlets in favour of the project. Another bemoaned the size of the compensation package offered to residents who would need to move if the affordable housing apartments are demolished.
Steinberg insists the developers have gone beyond their legal obligations by giving tenants 14 months notice to vacate from Sept. 30. They also reached agreements
with two property managers in the area, who will notify the tenants of any vacancies before publicly advertising them, he said.
Hampstead town council is divided on the matter. Councillor Michael Goldwax said Monday he opposes the 10-storey tower because of the shadows it would cast, and would prefer a smaller structure.
Councillor Jack Edery, who is in charge of finance and opposes the project, said Hampstead’s financial situation makes new luxury housing unnecessary.
“We’re a wealthy town but we’re a small town,” Edery said, adding that Hampstead has slashed its debt in half over the past decade. “We can use that extra money, but we don’t need it.”