Plateau-Mont-Royal | A change to noise regulations worries citizens

The Plateau-Mont-Royal borough modified its noise by-law on Thursday, to try to protect performance halls against legal proceedings like the one that led to the closure of La Tulipe this week. But citizens fear that this change will lead to even more noise pollution, particularly from bars.

The mayor of the district, Luc Rabouin, admitted that he was not certain that this measure would allow the reopening of La Tulipe. “But we know that if there were no changes, there would be other closures,” he said in an interview after an extraordinary meeting of the borough council.

The elected officials of Plateau-Mont-Royal have modified article 9 of their by-law on noise, so that it no longer applies to performance halls, bars and restaurants.

It is this article which was invoked by the Court of Appeal in its judgment rendered last Monday, ordering La Tulipe not to emit, through loudspeakers, any noise that could be heard outside its walls. . The court ruled on the prosecution of a neighbor of the venerable performance hall, who demanded silence after transforming a commercial building into housing.

“What we want to do today is reassure all establishments that use loudspeakers, by excluding them from article 9, while we continue to review all of our regulations on noise,” explained Mr. Rabouin at the start of the meeting, specifying that the district was acting urgently following the judgment.

“Terrible noise”

But citizens present at the meeting, already bothered by the loud music coming from bars, restaurants and open-air shows, are worried about seeing these establishments turn up the volume even more.

This is the case of Monique Trottier, who lives on a residential street near which a local recently obtained a reception permit. “Since the start of summer, every Saturday evening, there’s been a party on two levels: on the ground floor, where a large garage door is open, and on the roof terrace. We hear a terrible noise, even with the windows closed,” she says.

His calls to the police and the district went unanswered; the police made her understand that they had other priorities, she said.

A resident of Duluth Avenue, Rodrigue Escayola, denounced the volume of some 400 shows held on the pedestrian street during the summer, as well as a neighboring restaurant which transformed its parking lot into an outdoor stage.

“Are you thinking about residents and families? Where is the tranquility of citizens indicated in your regulations? “, asked Yves Beaudoin, another resident of Plateau-Mont-Royal.

Mr. Beaudoin stressed that La Tulipe’s setbacks were caused by an error on the part of the borough, which allowed an owner to develop housing in a building adjacent to the performance hall when this was prohibited. “But with this change to the regulations, you are trying to find a solution by creating another problem,” he lamented.

The mayor of the district replied that article 8 of the noise regulation continues to apply everywhere; it provides precise decibel levels not to be exceeded depending on the time of day.

Even if they do not have devices to measure the sound level, it is the police who are responsible for enforcing this regulation. The borough can also send a specialized technician to check if a business is too noisy, indicated Luc Rabouin.

“The decibel measurements that you praise were of no use this summer, we had no help,” replied Rodrigue Escayola.

The mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal recognizes that it is a “challenge” to reconcile the tranquility of citizens with the abundant cultural life in the borough. “It’s a delicate balance,” he said.

Mr. Rabouin invites the population of the borough to submit their comments on the proposed changes between now and the next meeting, on October 7, when elected officials will adopt the regulatory changes.

Read the article “Closure of La Tulipe: “No to the dictatorship of a neighbor”, says Valérie Plante”