An approach to better plan for Beaconsfield's future
Beaconsfield’s future is taking shape: the City is launching a public consultation process to revise its planning program and urban planning bylaws This is a unique opportunity for you, the citizens of Beaconsfield, to actively contribute to a strategic discussion that will guide the city’s development and land use planning for decades to come.
Follow the progress of the process here, learn about its various stages, and take part in public engagement activities.
The review of the urban planning regulatory framework is a process of planning and updating the regulatory framework through which a municipality reviews, modernizes, and harmonizes the tools that govern the planning and development of its territory.
This process aims to provide the municipality with a renewed regulatory framework capable of supporting the territory’s evolution, while aligning with the broad land-use planning guidelines for the City of Montreal.
In practical terms, this involves reviewing the rules that determine, for example, what can be built, where, and how, so that they better reflect the community’s current and future needs.
The review focuses primarily on:
Understanding the review of the regulatory Framework
Some bylaws have been in effect since 1990, and the last review of the planning program dates back to the early 2000s! Current bylaws no longer fully reflect the realities of the area, development trends, and the needs of current and future residents.
The City therefore wishes to engage with the public in a discussion about the development of its territory and update its bylaws to better address current and future challenges. This process will enable the City to establish clear and appropriate tools to guide sustainable, coherent, and predictable development, in line with its vision for the future, in which both current and future residents can easily find their place.
- To adapt land-use planning to current and future challenges, in particular by updating urban planning standards to take into account population trends, housing needs, and the specific realities of the municipality’s various sectors.
- To strengthen the resilience of the territory by promoting sustainable, inclusive living environments tailored to the needs of the population, while respecting natural environments, the built heritage, and the unique characteristics of each sector.
- To simplify and clarify the regulatory framework in order to make urban planning rules more accessible, predictable, and effective for citizens, professionals, and developers.
The comprehensive review of the regulatory framework is not, in and of itself, a legal requirement. It is an initiative undertaken by the municipality to update its urban planning tools.
However, the municipality must comply with certain legal requirements regarding consistency. Its urban planning by-laws must be consistent with higher-level planning documents, namely the Metropolitan Land Use and Development Plan (PMAD) and the Montreal Urban Agglomeration Land Use and Development Plan (SAD).
When a planning document is amended or revised and adjustments are necessary, the municipality must adopt concordance by-laws, in accordance with the Act respecting land use planning and development.
The review thus allows the municipality to meet its alignment obligations while more broadly modernizing its regulatory framework.
The zoning bylaw;
The subdivision bylaw;
The construction bylaw;
The permits and certificates bylaw;
The site planning and architectural integration programmes by-law;
The specific construction, alteration or occupancy proposal for an immovable by-law;
The Act respecting land use planning and development also allows a municipality to adopt new regulatory tools to address specific local needs, including:
incentive zoning, which allows a project to receive additional benefits in exchange for a contribution to the community;
differentiated zoning, which allows for the relaxation of certain rules for social or affordable housing projects in order to facilitate their implementation.
To date, the City has not made use of these regulatory tools. However, their relevance could be examined as part of the overhaul of the regulatory framework, based on the area’s needs and future land-use objectives.
Future regulatory developments
Against a backdrop marked by the housing crisis, the scarcity of developable land, the climate emergency, and the need to protect our natural environments, future regulations must respond flexibly to the community’s aspirations and support sustainable land use that respects Beaconsfield’s identity.
In particular, these regulations could address:
- Measures to adapt to climate change, protect natural environments and biodiversity, and strengthen infrastructure resilience
- Measures promoting sustainable mobility, including improvements to active transportation and access to public transit
- Architectural quality of the built and landscape environment, including heritage protection, particularly in areas with distinctive characteristics, such as heritage districts and established residential areas
- Measures promoting a diverse and accessible housing supply, tailored to the needs of different types of households and evolving lifestyles
The new provisions could redefine the applicable rules for certain properties, depending on the area. They will apply to everyone once they come into force, subject to specific rules that may apply to legally established uses and structures, as well as for projects for which a permit has already been issued.
Public participation
Before putting pen to paper and getting down to drafting, the City would like to gather residents’ perspectives on the specific needs and issues in each neighborhood.
Your knowledge of the area and your day-to-day experiences are a valuable contribution to this process.
Residents, local organizations, business owners, property owners, and developers: this process is open to everyone. Some activities are tailored to specific groups to better address their realities and needs.
Several opportunities will be offered at different stages of the process, both in person and online. Check the calendar for upcoming events.
- To better understand the realities and challenges specific to different neighbourhoods
- To identify collective priorities
- To enrich the discussion on the area’s development
- To inform the development of guidelines that will steer future planning
The City will post documents and information related to the revision of the planning plan and regulations on this page. The page will be updated regularly to allow residents to track the progress of the process, learn about planned activities, and take part in various opportunities for public engagement.
Key Milestones
The process will take place over approximately two years. The dates are tentative and may change depending on the progress of the work and consultations.
Fall and winter 2026
Prepare and analyze
Analyze existing documents and applicable broad guidelines.
Winter 2026 - Spring 2027
Understand the territory
Conduct an assessment based on the territory’s characteristics and the input gathered.
Spring - summer 2027
Define the vision
Determine the broad guidelines and objectives for the future.
Summer - fall 2027
Prepare the draft plan
Translate the vision and guidelines into a draft planning program.
Fall 2027 - spring 2028
Prepare the new regulations
Draft the regulations necessary to implement the plan.
Spring - summer 2028
Present and consult
Present the proposals and gather public feedback.
Summer - fall 2028
Refine and adopt
Refine the documents and proceed with the adoption process.
Fall 2028 - Winter 2029
Verify and enforce
Complete the compliance steps and ensure the new regulations take effect.
