Residents in the Chomedey district are incensed over a retention wall, currently seven feet tall but which could eventually tower nearly 14 feet, that has been installed near their homes as part of a new housing project.
“It’s going to be the height of a doubledecker bus,” said Dubeau resident Kordula Khubeis, looking at the stack of concrete blocks piled on the other side of her backyard fence.
Khubeis is one of several homeowners along Debeau street whose backyard view is now obstructed since a retaining wall was recently erected.
The wall was put in place to hold the ground for the future Royal St-Martin housing development project.
The wall stretches past some 25 homes that back onto the plot of land. The height varies from two blocks tall to four blocks tall. Each block is roughly two feet tall.
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Residents like Jane Ersan said they were never told about the retention wall being built, let alone one so big.
Many worry what the project will mean for their homes.
“No one wants to buy a home with a 14-foot wall. It will have a major impact on this neighbourhood,” Gaby Khammar said.
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Once the project is completed, another six-foot fence will be installed on top of the structure, making it measure close to 14 feet.
“With a wall of 14 feet tall, and then the houses that are stuck to each other, we won’t have the sun at all anymore in our back yards,” Khubeis said.
Gaby Khammar also worries about the safety of the structure and its maintenance.
“Who is going to take care of this wall? This wall will have mould on it. There will be mushrooms on it. For us it’s a major concern,” Khamma said.
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A petition protesting the retention wall has been circulating among residents and has amassed 90 signatures to date.
According to Khammar, numerous complaints and inquiries with the city of Laval have been left unanswered.
“We weren’t the only ones contacting the city. All the neighbourhood raised their complaints and they all got the same answer: ‘We will respond to you shortly,'” Khammar said.
With the wall already mostly built, residents are calling for the developers to level the land so as to reduce the height before foundations are poured.
The city says they were unaware of complaints but added they will be looking into the situation.
As for Madeco, the developers behind the project, a spokesperson said the wall project was insisted upon and approved by the city.
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