Gatineau, Que. mansion built too close to road must be demolished, judge rules

[link to ottawa.ctvnews.ca (secure)]

OTTAWA -- A multimillion-dollar home in Aylmer must be demolished because it was built too close to the street, a Quebec judge has ruled.

The decision by Quebec Superior Court Judge Michel Déziel comes after an eight-year saga that began when the city of Gatineau granted the homeowner permission to build the house even though it ran afoul of zoning bylaws.

The nearly $3-million home at 79 chemin Fraser was built seven metres from the street, instead of the minimum 15.67 metres. Nearby residents opposed to the home’s construction say it doesn’t fit with the rest of the neighbourhood.



But the city granted homeowner Patrick Molla all the required building permits in 2013. He believed the plans complied with municipal rules since the city approved them.

The city later found the plans were approved due to ‘human error,’ since the planning official who granted them didn’t know the relevant bylaw.