Burner Alley in Plateau-Mont-Royal dismantled to residents' dismay

Some people who live on Hôtel-de-Ville and Laval avenues on the Plateau are upset that a community back alley has been destroyed by the city.

Burner Alley, as it's locally known, was not a legally designated green alley, but neighbours had taken it upon themselves to decorate the space. 

People who live in the area say the collection of furniture, art, potted plants and decorations had been growing for nearly a decade. 

That all changed Saturday morning, when city crews arrived with front-end loaders and dump trucks to haul it all away.

Neighbours who enjoyed using the alley acknowledged it was not sanctioned by the city, but they said the city should should have communicated with them instead of just destroying the alley. 

Some residents got a notice dated  Aug. 24, warning them that leaving personal belongings and furniture on public property is not allowed according to the city's bylaw.

The notice did not, however, state that crews were scheduled to come and clean up the alleyway.

"We moved as much as we could, but residents not at home had their property destroyed," said resident Michael Hendricks.

The green space wasn't loved by everyone in the neighbourhood.

CBC spoke with one resident who said the makeshift art in the alley was an eyesore, and that parties in the alley were noisy and unwelcoming.

But at least one resident said the community alley was a step up from what it used to be — a dismal, grey alley filled with trash and syringes.