The City of Rigaud wants to allow medium to high-density residential construction in its Dr. Oscar-Gendron industrial park. The council adopted a resolution to this effect by a majority vote on October 8. A request will soon be submitted to the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC to amend the revised 3rd Generation Land Use and Development Plan (SADR3).

Owning most of the land in the industrial park, the City seeks authorization for residential buildings, considering that the current SADR3 use limitations hinder the long-term development of both the City and the MRC.

Currently, SADR3 designates the City's industrial parks as part of the agri-food hub. Therefore, agri-food activities must be authorized and prioritized. However, the City may allow complementary and compatible uses with agri-food activities. Residential development, however, is excluded.

According to the City, such an exclusion limits the potential for higher-density residential development.

According to the adopted resolution, the location of the Dr. Oscar-Gendron industrial park is "suitable for the establishment of medium to high-density residential use, particularly due to its proximity to the Saint-François residential neighborhood, bordered by a potential bike path on the former railway line, and accessible via Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Jules-A.-Desjardins streets."

When asked why the City is not prioritizing vacant land within the urban perimeter before developing the industrial park for medium to high-density residential use, Mayor Marie-Claude Frigault explained that such an approach would alter the village's character.

"We don't want to change the current overall identity of Rigaud, so it's hard to place 25-unit buildings in the backyards of single-story homes, if I can put it that way. That's why we're requesting to amend the land use plan," she said. "Since its adoption in February (SADR3), several municipalities have made similar requests for various reasons. This is a common procedure at the MRC," she added.

A decrease in tax revenue?

District 1 Councillor Charles Meunier expressed disagreement with the resolution, justifying his position by arguing that the potential tax revenue from industries is much greater than that from residential developments in this area.

"I really don't understand the idea of changing the zoning of our industrial park to allow residential development. First of all, it's important to note that we will need to increase our revenues to catch up on infrastructure investment and meet our obligations in the coming years. I don’t need to remind you that we're facing environmental disruptions from climate change and all the social and financial impacts directly related to it. We will need to diversify our revenue sources if we want to avoid dramatically increasing citizens' taxes. The Dr. Oscar-Gendron industrial park is a fantastic opportunity for Rigaud. The potential industrial tax revenue in this area is much higher than that of residential developments. We own this land. We have land control, something many other municipalities envy. We need to make the right choices."

For her part, the mayor believes that, in the long term, allowing medium or high-density residential construction in part of the industrial park will have positive effects on the City.

"It's no longer true that an industrial park is more profitable than housing or high-density projects. We need to think further. These people will keep our businesses open. We see businesses closing everywhere. These residents will come to our businesses, industries won't. We're not talking about turning the industrial park into a residential area. There's a difference between making it all residential and allowing it in a certain part."

Agreeing, District 4 Councillor Kevin Ménard is confident that such a change to SADR3 will increase the City’s potential. "What the resolution gives us is the flexibility to adapt. We don’t have to go 100% industrial; we can include commercial and high-density residential. We're simply requesting to change SADR3 to allow for these developments... It's the potential that will increase. Afterward, if we build 500 housing units, it's a huge added value for the City of Rigaud. That's 500 new citizens who will pay taxes but also contribute to the local economy."

Referring to the Walmart warehouse project that fell through after the building was constructed in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Mr. Ménard fears that keeping the Dr. Oscar-Gendron industrial park in its current role might put Rigaud at risk of suffering the same fate as Vaudreuil-Dorion.

"Imagine if 26 industries are built, and none of them come. We’ll end up with empty buildings that won’t generate enough taxes. For me, this resolution gives us even more possibilities. We’ll be able to attract medium to high-density residential, commerce, and all that. It’s a winning formula for me," he added.

"We also need to know that what's currently planned opens the door to a multitude of industry types. When we talk about agri-food and all the complementary uses associated with it, we can go pretty broad… We don't have to seek out large industries; we can choose who will set up here. We don't want industries that will generate a lot of wastewater or consume a lot of drinking water, but that will pay more taxes and relieve citizens of their tax burdens. I think it's really a big mistake to move in this direction," added Mr. Meunier.

"I have no doubt that once we have a solid industrial park project and a strategy to develop it in line with our values and with the approval of Rigaud's citizens, we will be able to attract the right industries that will contribute to our community's growth. I suggest we take a broad approach with citizens to plan densification because the 500 new housing units mentioned in the Dr. Oscar-Gendron park can indeed be located within the urban core. I’d like us to have a process that includes the citizens," concluded District 1 Councillor.

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