At the time of writing this note*, on October 27, 2023, the outcome of the Plaza Elm development is unknown.
What I do know, however, is that Plaza Elm cannot – must not – be left in the state of decay it is for much longer. This space needs to be revitalized and, in my opinion, a mixed residential-commercial project is key. In any case, any future project at this location, like other projects elsewhere as well, will bring its share of disadvantages in the short term.
Ideally, eventually, but perhaps even only in the very long term, the project that will be approved and built will bring joy to our municipality and our residents.
But one element raised in the public consultation on October 24, 2023, concerns me more particularly: allowing our retirees to move from one house to a smaller one, so that they can stay at a good price in Beaconsfield.
Whether within the framework of the Plaza Elm project, or elsewhere, it is a noble objective which, for me, must be a priority. It is at the same level as the need to be able to overcome the housing crisis and offer affordable housing that meets the needs of our population.
We have long known that this decade would see baby boomers retire and potentially reduce their housing needs. This is nothing new, it is a reality that demographers have been announcing for a very long time and past administrations of our municipality have been aware of it.
Densification for the future is probably inevitable and even desirable. But Beaconsfield is currently a bedroom community, made up mainly of single-family homes, which does not have a master plan to achieve this objective in an orderly manner. We cannot passively wait for projects to arrive one by one, trying to fit them into our neighborhoods like a square peg in a round hole.
Some have a sense of urgency; a fear that the refusal of a high-density project would be fatal to the finances, in the short term, of the municipality. Our mayor even said that it was important that a project be profitable for the developer.
Although we can hope that all stakeholders in a project can find their benefit, a win-win solution, the profitability of a project is not one of the criteria to consider, no offense to those who are of contrary opinion.
It is important not to panic. Current and future political leadership must prepare for the future by developing a long-term vision. To do this, it would be necessary, in my opinion, to undertake major planning work, to mandate external resources as needed and to carry out consultations with, among others, our residents to establish a long-term action plan. The goal being to establish a vision of what Beaconsfield will be for the next 50 years, not just the next four.
We need to develop new sources of income. In the current municipal taxation model, these additional revenues come through greater densification in specific areas and, where possible, the identification and development of one or two economic poles strategically located in our territory. The worst thing to do would be to limit ourselves to short-term management; to only manage the present, on a case-by-case basis, without developing a concrete vision of the long term.
* This text was first published in the Contact magazine of the City of Beaconsfield, December 2023 issue.