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Rezoning for Metro creating riff

Brett Bundale
The Gazette
Thursday, August 14, 2008

Brett Bundale
The Gazette
A proposed Metro Plus supermarket in Kirkland promises more sushi, more organic food and more ready-to-eat meals.  
But nearby residents aren’t looking forward to what they say will be more noise, more pollution and more traffic.
And they plan to stop the proposed rezoning of a 90,000-square-foot green space to commercial from residential use to make room for the 43,000-square-foot supermarket beside the Rona L’Entrepôt on St. Charles Blvd.
Metro employees, however, are eager to work in a bigger store with new job opportunities. They decided to take matters into their own hands.
Diane Mailhot, who has worked at the Metro store on St. Charles Blvd. for six years, started a petition asking shoppers if they would support a new store.
In three weeks, she has collected about 2,000 signatures of support from shoppers from across the West Island.
Mailhot and a dozen other Metro employees presented the petition to Kirkland council at the last meeting.
“The council is very concerned with being upfront on this issue and following the process,” said director general Joe Sanalitro.
“We want to make sure everyone is informed. We don’t want  revenues if it’s to the detriment of residents,” he said.
A meeting is planned for early September to make sure residents are aware of the possible zoning change, Sanalitro added.