General goals
- Optimize use of the area, especially in relation to
existingtransportation and rail networks
- Improve the accessibility of the area
- Reduce the nuisances caused by rail activities
Planning issues
The Meadowbrook area covers 57 hectares in the Borough of Côte-Saint-Luc – Hampstead – Montréal-Ouest (31 hectares) and in the Borough of Lachine (26 hectares). Presently occupied by the Meadowbrook Golf Club, the area has been owned by Canadian Pacific and its subsidiaries since 1917. Originally designed as a recreational facility for CP employees, the site was converted into a golf course in the 1930’s. Residential development of the area has been considered for the past few decades.
The future of the Meadowbrook area is not yet determined. Various options or a combination of options may be considered: preserving the golf course, creating a park or allowing low- or medium-density residential development. Regardless of the decision, improvement of the area must follow a sustainable development approach and be consistent with the site’s assets and constraints.
As of now, access to the area is a major constraint. The site is bounded by a railway to the south, single-family houses to the east and Canadian Pacific railyards to the north and west. Chemin de la Côte-Saint-Luc provides the only street access. Norman offers the possibility of creating a road link and improving accessibility.
Any development in the area will have to consider the presence of railway operations, which generate a significant amount of noise. The type of freight being carried through the yards and on the tracks may also raise public safety concerns.
The positive fiscal impact of any development project will have to be assessed by taking into account, among other things, the current capacity of water and sewer infrastructure.
Some characteristics of the area make it very attractive, particularly its mature and diverse vegetation and its location at the centre of the Island. Though road access to the site is problematic, its isolation could easily be corrected by building a commuter train station. In fact, trains from Rigaud already use the CP tracks on the south side of the golf course to reach the Central Business District.
