Montreal West Island residential tower project causing concern for some in the community

A controversial development project on Montreal's West Island is one step closer to becoming a reality, which could mean three nearly 30-storey towers going up this fall.

The Pointe-Claire council recently excluded a 900-car parking lot from a freeze on zoning, meaning the lot in question could look a lot different, concerning some residents.

"This is the biggest project the West Island’s ever seen before, and it needs to be done properly, with a lot of questions answered," said Genevieve Lussier of Save Fairview Forest.

Some Pointe-Claire councillors say a semi-formal agreement has been in the works since 2018.

"As I explained at the meeting, the city had been involved with discussions with Cadillac Fairview for years," said Coun. Brent Cowan.

Cowan said there could be legal ramifications if the project gets blocked even though Cowan said the city council was in the dark about the agreement.

"Council was unaware of the involvement of the City of Pointe-Claire and Cadillac Fairview until we passed the control resolution in February," said Cowan, who is one of the councillors who voted to exclude the project from the development freeze.

Some opponents of the construction say that it isn't clear what, if any, legal ramifications would exist should council vote to block the project.

"Our understanding was that Cadillac Fairview wouldn’t take us to court, that they wouldn’t have a legal case," said Lussier. "That was our understanding."

Cadillac Fairview did not respond to CTV News requests for comment.

Meanwhile, opponents want more consultation before it's finally greenlit.

"It gives us the time to do a number of things — traffic studies, economic impact studies, environmental studies," said city councillor Bruno Tremblay, who wants more time to discuss the project before going ahead.

Cadillac Fairview also owns the woods next to the mall, but those woods, for now, are protected because they are part of the zoning freeze.

"For certain people, it’s just a good place to get out of the house and get away during a COVID pandemic for instance and have a place to walk and relax," said Tremblay.

He said development at the mall would have a dramatic effect on nearby residents.

There will be a town hall meeting to discuss the project on Saturday.

If approved, construction could start in September.