Real estate development: Lévis will ban construction on a large part of its territory

Lévis must interrupt for a maximum of two years the granting of new construction permits in the sectors served by the Saint-Nicolas and Desjardins wastewater treatment plants.

Apart from a few exceptions, it will therefore be prohibited to build on two thirds of Lévis territory so as not to exceed the capacity of the factories.

This decision is necessary due to accelerated development, which creates pressure on municipal infrastructure.

“We are announcing a shutdown in two overheating areas,” explained Mayor Gilles Lehouillier.

“Unfortunately, our infrastructure has reached full capacity,” added CEO Dominic Deslauriers.

This moratorium was adopted by the city council on Friday.

Concerns

Concerned developers questioned the mayor about the predictable nature of the situation. “I’ve been developing for 26 years. This affects two of my projects. These are enormous costs. Are we going to have dates? We have accountability and the chain is long,” mentioned Michel Fortier in particular.

“It’s really causing us problems. We have submitted a permit for 162 housing units and it is a two-year construction project,” said Jacques Quirion.

During this period, the City will also have to intervene on its wastewater plants in order to increase their capacity.

Since 1^is January 2021, the City granted permits for approximately 10,000 new housing units. Lévis has been in first place for population growth among the 10 largest cities in Quebec since 2020.

Rapid growth

In 2023, the population of Lévis reached 156,225 inhabitants, while the Institute of Statistics of Quebec predicted this growth by 2046 only.

“It’s a choice we made. We are pro-developments. There is currently no break,” assured Gilles Lehouillier.

Two interim development control regulations were passed on Friday.

These regulations, with a maximum duration of two years, may be repealed or renewed depending on the progress of work on the wastewater treatment plants.

This moratorium does not affect the drinking water supply.

Lévis specifies that total investments in water assets reach half a billion dollars for the period 2021-2029.

These investments could offer, from 2028-2029, the potential to add nearly 25,000 new housing units.

Loss of control

In the meantime, development will continue at a more moderate pace. Over the next three years, 2,000 new housing units will be built annually.

“It’s that or we flush in the river,” said Lauzon councilor Fleur Paradis.

The opposition, however, reacted by speaking of a failure of planning by the mayor’s team. “This is proof of a loss of control over our development. They waited to hit the wall before correcting the situation,” underlined Serge Bonin, councilor of Saint-Étienne.

The surcharge on serviced vacant lots, which the City will prohibit from developing, could remain in 2025.

A public consultation will take place in January 2025. The City will also meet with the developers.