Urban planning by-laws

The construction by-law governs the adoption of higher standards than those established by the Québec Building Code or standards related to buildings or features not covered in the Code.

The subdivision by-law defines the standards and conditions relative to the subdivision and identification of lots.

The permits and certificates by-law sets out the administrative procedures that must be followed to obtain authorization for projects subject to urban planning by-laws.

The zoning by-law allows the City to determine the vocation of the land within its boundaries by parcelling it into different zones. For each zone, the by-law determines the use that may be made of the land and buildings, and establishes a framework for the siting, layout, and appearance of structures.

The by-law relative to site planning and architectural integration programs (commonly referred to by the French acronym, PIIA) defines the qualitative measures used to evaluate projects. It thereby ensures the City’s control over the quality of siting and architectural integration programs and their harmonization with the built environment.

The by-law relative to minor derogations regulates exceptional applications for authorization of a structure or building that is not compliant with the provisions of the various urban planning by-laws.

The purpose of this by-law is to control the demolition of buildings, whether in a context of scarcity of rental housing, to protect a building that may constitute a cultural asset, or to control and order the reuse of cleared land.

The purpose of this by-law is to enable municipalities with a planning advisory committee to require the production of a comprehensive development plan for a zone when applying to amend the planning by-laws.

The purpose of this by-law is to allow municipalities with a planning advisory committee to authorize, upon request and subject to certain conditions, a specific construction, alteration or occupancy project that derogates from one or other of the planning by-laws.

A land-use plan is a tool that presents a vision for planning and organizing the development of a territory. The Ministère des Affaires municipales et Habitation defines it as follows:

[translation] “A land-use plan is the planning document that establishes the guidelines for the spatial and physical organization of a municipality while presenting an overview of the management of its territory.”

For a city with spaces to develop, this definition makes perfect sense. For Saint-Lambert, however, whose territory has already been completely developed, the definition translates more into the concept of redevelopment.

In fact, Saint-Lambert is a mature city, and we must ensure that its brand image and unique identity are preserved. The land-use plan will therefore provide a vision for enhancing all aspects of our city’s identity (including its heritage and culture) from a perspective of sustainable development with three interrelated facets: the environment, economic vitality and social cohesion.