The idea of an eco-district in Pignet is taking shape in Beausset
Faced with " significant demographic growth" and "the 10,000 inhabitants mark crossed in the last census" , the City has "the objective of strengthening the supply of suitable housing for Beaussetans and promoting the harmonious development of the territory" .
This involves "controlling urban expansion and optimizing land that can accommodate housing."
The Local Urban Planning Plan (PLU), approved last December, broadly reflects this ambition, through "the identification of privileged urban development sectors" .
And the Pignet project ticks all the boxes, according to the mayor. "It represents a significant land reserve (...) allowing us to meet a large part of the housing needs in the town for the coming years," Edouard Friedler declared at the town council meeting on Thursday evening.
At least 250 homes and a large parkThe subject is not a surprise, but a deliberation presented during this session marks an important step towards this achievement: the "delegation of the right of pre-emption to the public land establishment (EPF) Paca" was in fact voted by the majority, but without a single vote from the opposition (read elsewhere).
"It's about creating a Provençal hamlet as an eco-district," the mayor tried to gently suggest, "with a 2-hectare park that would protect the wetland, as well as a school group that would have the advantage of smoothing traffic in Le Beausset, since all the schools would no longer be concentrated in the same place."
Although he didn't specify this in his speech, let's remember that, in the PLU, this future development provides for 250 to 300 housing units on 8 hectares, behind the college. And that they are not expected to be built for another ten or twelve years.
Because, also, "many questions remain to be resolved," the elected official said, "such as the route of the new service road, which is essential; the composition of the type of housing, the facilities necessary for life in this new district, or even the legal form of the project: concerted development zone, or other..."
Still seeking to build consensus, Edouard Friedler also defended "the issue of affordable housing [which] concerns multiple categories of our fellow citizens" , from "low-income groups" to "young adults forced to live with their parents" , to "seasonal workers who are struggling to recruit due to a lack of supply" .
And then: "We are committed to the same logic as our predecessors - at least here we are in line, namely, 30% of housing reserved for our most vulnerable fellow citizens with the Assisted Rental Integration Loan (PLAI), and a total of 50% of social housing, which is comparable to the buildings constructed by the previous municipality (Vents d'ange and Coquelicots)" .
This latter percentage, he warned, could nevertheless be increased "to a maximum of 60% depending on the economic balance of the project" .
He finally indicated that "design offices mandated by the EPF will assist us in thinking about this project. And we will organize a public meeting."
Several members of the opposition made their voices heard, including Claude Alimi, who was particularly concerned about the flooding risk of the area where an eco-district is to be built.
" Saying that all of Pignet is liable to flooding is a lie," the mayor responded. "Geological studies commissioned under the previous term clearly show one red zone and two blue zones (this is where the 2-hectare park is planned), but the rest is perfectly buildable ."
And the deputy for urban planning, Hervé Thébault, essentially insisted that all the rules (retention capacity, limitation of waterproofing, etc.) will obviously be respected.
Preemption at the right price?As for the four owners who currently occupy this sector and who will have to expect to see their properties (currently agricultural land) pre-empted: " There will be an assessment of the areas... This will certainly pose problems, because, over the years, multiple developers have made them incredible promises... Except that we cannot envisage the creation of VRD (roads and various networks) and other facilities that would be paid for by the community and that the owners could sell their land at the price of serviced land. In the basic sense, he specified, these lands are worth 2 euros/m² because they are agricultural. But we are not going to do that, it would be despoiling them! So, we have them assessed as building land, after deducting the improvements that the municipality will make ."
Var-Matin
