Gay Village to get pedestrian street this summer...

[NorthWoods]

Gay Village to get pedestrian street this summer

From The Montreal Gazette, Tuesday, March 04

 

Montreal's Gay Village will be the site of the city's longest pedestrian mall this summer, after city officials announced this morning that Ste. Catherine St. will be closed to motorized traffic between Berri St. and Papineau Ave. from June 17 to Sept. 3.

 

Today's announcement, made by Ville Marie borough mayor Benoit Labonté and Denis Brossard of the Gay Village's commercial development corporation, caps weeks of planning and consultations with local businesses and residents, not all of which went smoothly.

 

Residents have expressed concerns about increased noise and vehicular traffic because of detours away from Ste. Catherine St., while others contend an influx of visitors will lead to a deterioration of the quality of life in the neighbourhood which, away from Ste. Catherine St., is largely residential.

 

Other, full-time pedestrian malls in Montreal can be found on Prince Arthur St. between St. Laurent Blvd. and St. Louis Square and Place Jacques Cartier in Old Montreal.

 

Both are dwarfed, however, by the 16-block stretch scheduled to be opened this summer.

[tazmanian5230]

>Gay Village to get pedestrian street this summer

>From The Montreal Gazette, Tuesday, March 04

>

>Montreal's Gay Village will be the site of the city's longest

>pedestrian mall this summer, after city officials announced

>this morning that Ste. Catherine St. will be closed to

>motorized traffic between Berri St. and Papineau Ave. from

>June 17 to Sept. 3.

 

The Gazette failed to report that many business's are also not in favor of the street closing.

 

Those who sell alcohol or want a terrace are forced to pay a "permit fee" of about $85.00 per day which allows you to have an outdoor terrace however if you dont pay the fee or have the terrace you cant sell alcohol.

 

The city has concerns about people walking around with drinks served in glass containers. The mayor failed to report that you MAY NOT have any outdoor music such as bands, singers or any type of music as all of the other pedestrian streets are allowed to have.

 

I wonder why someone would sit at an outdoor terrace (except to eat) if there wasnt some form of entertainment.

 

Who is paying for the security and lost parking meter income lost by the city you wonder? Thank those with a terrace, thats where the $85.00 per day is going.

[Luv2play]

I have a residence in the Village which is just a stone's throw from the proposed pedestrain mall and I am prepared to give it a go. We do have this street closed for shorter periods but never for the whole summer as has been proposed and seemingly now agreed.

 

A pleasant effect is the lack of cars and trucks on what is the major shopping street of the Village. I understand service vehicles will be permitted in during an early period in the morning to supply shops. But the vast majority of traffic through this thoroughfare is headed for the Jacques Cartier bridge which links Montreal to the south shore. Especially in the summer, the long line of cars starts at 3pm and continues through till 7pm and spews their exhaust into the humid air.

 

With these commuters having to access the bridge by a perimeter route outside the Village (with the important exception of Papineau Street), the restaurants and bars on Ste Catherine will be able to put out summer terraces without all these gaseous, toxic fumes spoiling the effect. Anyway, it is not the case that these commuters do not have an alternative to getting out of their cars. There is a subway connection to the south shore. They are just too lazy to get their fat asses out of their cars! x(

[Luv2play]

>

>Those who sell alcohol or want a terrace are forced to pay a

>"permit fee" of about $85.00 per day which allows

>you to have an outdoor terrace however if you dont pay the fee

>or have the terrace you cant sell alcohol.

 

I don't think this is a major expense for any bar or restaurant that wants to operate an outdoor terrace during the tourist season. If Place Jacques Cartier is any indication, there will be plenty of business to defray the relatively minor expense of $85 per day.

 

>The city has concerns about people walking around with drinks

>served in glass containers.

 

In the past bars have been very good at enforcing plastic glasses for beverages served outdoors. I don't see how this would change.

 

The mayor failed to report that

>you MAY NOT have any outdoor music such as bands, singers or

>any type of music as all of the other pedestrian streets are

>allowed to have.

 

I agree with this. If you allow outside music, people will abuse this and have huge loudspeakers blaring disco music till 3 in the morning. In Europe there are lots of pedestrian malls and they do not permit music to be broadcast all over the place. I don't see a problem with a street performer playing a flute or something similar but NO amplification please!

 

>I wonder why someone would sit at an outdoor terrace (except

>to eat) if there wasnt some form of entertainment.

 

Never heard of people watching? It's actually a very pleasant pasttime.

 

>Who is paying for the security and lost parking meter income

>lost by the city you wonder? Thank those with a terrace, thats

>where the $85.00 per day is going.

 

So what's the beef?

[Guest zipperzone]

>I don't think this is a major expense for any bar or

>restaurant that wants to operate an outdoor terrace during the

>tourist season.

 

Well it's over $2500 a month. And that amount has to come from profits, not just gross sales.

 

>I agree with this. If you allow outside music, people will

>abuse this and have huge loudspeakers blaring disco music till

>3 in the morning.

 

Not necessarily - there could be a provision that any music after a certain hour would be prohibited and result in a heavy fine.

 

>Never heard of people watching? It's actually a very pleasant

>pasttime.

 

You got that right - talk about buns on parade!

[twinkboylover28]

I guess this will make it easier to pick up street hustlers by Club Sandwhich.

[Luv2play]

I still don't want to have loud music blaring over the neighbourhood at any time of the day. Apart from Ste Catherine St the rest of the neighnbourhood is residential and we enjoy having our own outdoor terraces in our condos. We don't want the tranquility disturbed by the incessant beating of disco music. I prefer to listen to the birds in the trees while I am sipping my cocktails!:+

[+ Hoover42]

Hey, Luv, is it the disco music you object to, or is it any music?

 

What if, say, the first movement of the Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor was playing (with birds still audible in the background)?

 

...Hoover

[Luv2play]

I like music that I can turn off when I want. I don't like music being imposed on me. Therefore I hate it when I am assaulted by music I have no desire in hearing.

 

Living in a condo, I realize there is the necessity of accepting some noises from neighbours. I am extremely lucky thus far that my neighbours are wonderful. The chap next door does have a piano but he plays beautifully and it is a pleasure to listen to him. Also, he always plays in the evening and never later than 10:00pm.

 

I did grow up in a family where my siblings played the piano. I did painting. So I do appreciate talented people playing musical instruments. What I do not appreciate is loud, synthetic music played over amplifiers blasting everyone in sight! x(

[Guest zipperzone]

>What I do not appreciate is loud,

>synthetic music played over amplifiers blasting everyone in

>sight! x(

 

I couldn't agree with you more. What I especially hate is music in restaurants that is so loud you can't have a conversation with people sitting at the same table with you.

 

It is especially bad in "trendy" restaurants where all the staff are no older than 20 and they get to choose the crap that pours out of their loud speakers. And if you ask them to turn it down they look at you as if you have two heads.

[ServeUncutUncle]

My Boy Toy must be turning in his Grave - Where on earth would he now park his Porche.