Housing project under construction in Aylmer

Bulletin staff

The digging has begun. The long-awaited project beside the Wilfrid-Lavigne Petro-Canada has been in the works for many years and is finally getting off the ground, but that’s not without some opposition from residents.

The Domaine du Maquis project includes 78 units of roughly 84 square metres each. The project, which was not recommended by Gatineau’s planning advisory committee months ago, will feature five buildings of two storeys; two of 12 units and three of 18 units. The advisory committee offers non-binding opinions to council. The piece of land the development will sit on was rezoned several years ago to permit such a residential project.

Residents who opposed were unhappy with elements of the project, some of which were approved thanks to minor variances, namely that the builder would be allowed to lay out 101 parking spaces instead of 117. The group of residents were also worried about the noise and asked for a buffer zone with vegetation and a barrier and to ensure the nearby gas station did not build a car wash which would eliminate the buffer zone.

At the time of the uproar, then councillor of Lucerne, Mike Duggan, had stated that he would ensure the agreement still stood regarding the wall separating the gas station and the homes.

A 2012 environmental assessment concluded that the land was free of contaminants while a 2013 ecological study concluded there was no wetland and no wildlife species at risk nearby.