The Town of Hudson is evaluating the possibility of acquiring the entire Sandy Beach site. At least, that's what was discussed at a special meeting of the town council held on Monday, July 15, during which two firms were commissioned to study the issue.

“The point of tonight's two resolutions is to prepare the material with which we will be convinced that the offer we are going to bring to the public is the best one; and it will be up to the population to choose whether they are prepared to incur this charge. We want to make sure that, fiscally, the project is positive and that, over time, the operating cost will not be absorbed by public funds and will instead be a benefit,” said Hudson Mayor Chloé Hutchison during the question period. 

During the meeting, which was attended by nearly 50 citizens, the majority of whom were in favor of saving Sandy Beach, the municipal council approved two resolutions granting as many mandates to firms to study the possibility of acquiring Sandy Beach.

The first mandate was awarded to Groupe BC2 for a maximum sum of $27,500 to study the benefits and costs of purchasing the Sandy Beach site. 

LB Évaluation was awarded the contract to estimate the market value of the site. The contract is not expected to exceed $24,999.

“The city is evaluating all the possibilities in order to eventually make the right decisions. We're really at the beginning of the process. It's going to take a few months-we're talking about 3, 4, maybe 5 months-before all the studies are available. In the meantime, we'll be working with our partners to see what happens,” explains Martin Houde, Project Manager for the City of Hudson. 

Protected land lots

In 2023, the Town adopted several resolutions to apply its right of first refusal to almost all lots in the Sandy Beach woodland, including the one currently for sale for over $1 million. As a result, the lots are protected from development. 

As for the lot for sale, since the Town has exercised its right of pre-emption, it has 60 days in which to make an offer to purchase.

Approaches have been made to the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) to purchase the land currently for sale. However, according to the CMM, the seller's asking price was too high in relation to the market value, and so it withdrew. 

“At the CMM level, funds had already been made available, among others, for the Trame Bleue et Verte program. Unfortunately, they have put these funds on hold, as they have too many cases before the courts. They prefer to reserve the funds for other lawsuits. But the point is that the CMM invests based on a percentage of land value, not profitability. In this case, it's clear that a large portion of the profitability will not be eligible for subsidies. This is something to think about. If a citizens' group wants to raise funds, we're talking millions here. For our part, we know that available subsidies, from all levels of government, can be as high as 65%. The remaining 35% goes to the municipality. Thirty-five percent of the value of a plot of land is one thing, but when you add in profitability, the figures rise rapidly,” explained Ms. Hutchison.

The public consulted and involved

Asked whether the public will be consulted in the event of the purchase of Sandy Beach, Ms. Hutchison reiterated that social acceptability, no matter what direction the file takes, will be crucial to the decision. 

“I made this clear during my election campaign. If we ever get to that point (Editor's note: buying Sandy Beach), the decision will absolutely have to be made with the public. The offer or agreement that might be developed with the promoter will depend on social acceptability. Should Sandy Beach be purchased, a borrowing by-law will most certainly be required, and all borrowing by-laws, with a few exceptions, are subject to referendum approval. It's a commitment I made, but I'm taking it up again this evening: the population will be consulted and will be able to express itself “.

For several years now, a group of citizens involved in saving Sandy Beach has been working to find solutions. Many of these citizens were present at the meeting and took the opportunity to express their views. They are actively seeking funding to support the Town in its purchase of Sandy Beach. 

Unable to confirm the actual value of Sandy Beach, Chloé Hutchison estimates that citizens will have to raise more than $10 million to support the municipality. “To keep Sandy Beach, it's going to take millions of dollars. We already know that they're going to be very greedy. Unfortunately for us, or fortunately for them, they've been canvassing the city for a long time. They've made a number of gains at various council meetings,” adds the mayor.

“We know that the people of Hudson are capable of great things. It's thanks to our citizens that Hudson has a hospice, a medical center and even the Nichoir organization. It's because our citizens are able to pull together to make it happen,” she continues.

Finally, when asked about her personal position on the acquisition of Sandy Beach, Chloé Hutchison said she was in favour, but aware that caution was required. 

“My personal values are very different from those I hold as mayor of the town. I feel I have to listen just as much to those who want development as to those who don't. I have to keep an open mind on both sides. We also have to be responsible for what we do with public money. We know we have an infrastructure deficit. We also know that we have to take care of roads and buildings.  I keep all this in mind when I look at Sandy Beach. Of course, Sandy Beach is irreplaceable. In an ideal world, we could prove financially that it's viable to buy Sandy Beach. That's what we're working on. That's what I continue to support,” she concluded.

Some of the results of the studies carried out by Groupe BC2 and LB Evaluation should be known by the end of 2024.