Some residents in Dorval argue the ongoing public consultations on the city’s future master plan don’t adequately address their concerns.
The West Island city is revising its master plan to draw up a new vision for commercial and residential sectors.
But some people say they’re being offered to choose among options of a future look for Dorval that has already been pre-determined.
“We’ve had a lot promoters come to Dorval who want to build highrises. People here don’t want highrises,” Rachelle Cournoyer, a resident, told Global News.
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Cournoyer says the system is flawed because one of the registered lobbyists for the owner of the Dorval Shopping Centre has also been hired by the city of Dorval to help revise its master plan.
“There’s a conflict of interest right from the start,” Cournoyer said.
Eight sectors of Dorval have been identified for redevelopment with the exception of the shopping centre. One city councillor says the shopping centre should also be included.
“Not only a few parcels of land but a global vision,” Pascal Brault, a Dorval city councillor, said at the council meeting on Monday.
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Cournoyer also fears that the options being presented give the impression that some development decisions may have been pre-determined.
She wants residents to be granted more power to provide input on the future vision for the city.
“I think there should be honest to goodness citizen consultations for input. I think people should be briefed,” she said.
In a phone call to Global News, Dorval Mayor Marc Doret says citizens are being given ample opportunity to provide their input and no decision on any kind of development has been made or is pre-determined.
The city plans to draft its final version of the master plan by June.
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