Residents of quiet Pierrefonds street distressed over daycare plans

CTV Montreal: Daycare backlash People living on a street in Pierrefonds are angry over plans for a new daycare in their neighbourhood.

People living on a street in Pierrefonds are angry over plans for a new commercial daycare in their neighbourhood.

Worried it will cause traffic bottlenecks and create safety concerns on quiet Eldor-Daignault St., they've been fighting the borough – but say their concerns seem to fall on deaf ears.

“The amount of traffic that's going to be drawn to this area is unimaginable. It's going to change the whole facet of this street,” said resident Faz Sham.

The plans put the daycare between Gouin Blvd. and their tiny street – but the entrance to the daycare would be on Eldor-Daignault.

Since it will serve at least 80 children, they say that will mean extra cars on the street for pickup and drop-offs.

They also wonder if it makes sense to put a daycare beside a landscaping business, adding that the street becomes dangerous in the wintertime.

“The snowbanks compound and become higher and higher until you get to a point where only one car can pass down this street in any one direction,” said Sham.

Because the lot is zoned commercial, residents have been told the borough won't stop the project.

“No one is against a daycare. What we are against is the entrance and the exit of the daycare,” said resident Frank Bomba, who said they've written letters, gone to council meetings and circulated a petition.

They want to see the entrance to the daycare moved to Gouin Blvd.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis said the lot doesn't have access to Gouin, and an entrance there would pose a danger to drivers.

“We know that the daycare can be built there, we believe that there's a need for that in our community, but we will continue to work with everyone involved to make sure we minimize the impact to the quality of life of those citizens,” he said.

But those fighting the plans say they feel ignored by the borough, and want to meet with the mayor and the daycare owners before construction begins.