Pontiac favours developers?

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It has been 18 months since candidates promised to be transparent, accountable, to consult the public on a vision and strategic plan for the economic and social
development of the Municipality, and to protect the environment and rural quality of our community.

It has been 18 months since candidates promised to be transparent, accountable, to consult the public on a vision and strategic plan for the economic and social
development of the Municipality, and to protect the environment and rural quality of our community.
We still don’t have any indication of the council’s vision, but there are disturbing clues. Recently, Council voted to submit a request to the MRC des Collines to allow rezoning for a section of agricultural land in the next regional land-use plan. When asked the land’s location, the Director General said the maps are confidential. We were assured the farmland had been broken up so much by house construction that it was no longer farmable.
The maps are not confidential. Soon information circulated that the property is 120 acres of farmland bordering Terry Fox Road, between Maple Road and Highway 148. It looks like good farmland to me and the continuity of the farmland is well
maintained. What is Pontiac council up to? More digging revealed that the land had been sold to Bena Construction last year, which builds subdivisions.
The Law to Protect Agricultural Land prevents farmland to be used for
non-agricultural uses. It’s to force
municipalities to do a better job of planning development, rather than allowing
developers to do what they want. Once
this land is removed from agricultural zoning, the Council and its Urban Planner can say “there’s nothing we can do, zoning allows this”, which happened with the Domaines des Chutes at Luskville Falls.
I’m not against development that
contributes to the community, creates employment, and adds to the local
economy. A subdivision this close to Gatineau will add nothing to the community beyond a few tax dollars.  Low density housing, on septic fields and wells, is costly to maintain and residents who move there are so close to Aylmer they are unlikely to drive further to shop at Pontiac stores.
I suspect that with no strategic plan, the Municipality of Pontiac sees subdivisions as the best source of revenue. Last week, I was warned that as a member of the Public Advisory Committee on Urban Planning (PAC) I should keep my opinion about the plan for the Domaines des Chutes to myself; I had spoken to a journalist about an endangered species on this site – information I originally brought to the committee. The letter suggested I may have to choose between my role on the PAC and my role
as a citizen. I briefly thought I had woken up in Iran.
I can only surmise the Municipality wants to assure the developer that a mouthy PAC member will not interfere with his project. This is not good. Just drive through Aylmer to see what happens when developers call the shots. It’s too late to protect Luskville Falls, but let’s not let another good piece of farmland, so close to a large market, be swallowed up by suburban sprawl.
Sheila McCrindle
LUSKVILLE