Friday 14 October 2011

Suburban Ponzi Scheme: Mayors North of Montreal Want More Development in Order to Provide Sevrices

So you build houses in the far suburbs and don't have proper infrastructure for them, so you ask to dezone agricultural land in order to build more to have the tax base to provides services? Doesn't make any sense, but that's what mayors of the second tief of suburbs north of Montreal want. They've been appearing before hearings a new plan for development in the greater Montreal area.

The time frame is 20 years, we're told, and there is much talk of densifying, building around transportation nodes and all that good urban planning talk. But it's about time that the chutzpah of pleading poor when you've deliberately set out to cut corners so your tax rates are low is breathtaking.

Agricultural interests as well as muncipal governments from the island of Montreal and already-established suburbs are arguing that urban sprawl must be tamed. They should be listened to, it seems to me.

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