The mayor of Coteau-du-Lac, Andrée Brosseau, has settled the debate on the redevelopment of the Camping Koa site off Route 338. At the town council meeting held on Tuesday, November 12, the councillor used her veto power to agree to the construction of a 200-door real estate project on the site.

In fact, there were four items on the agenda dealing with By-law URB-299.4, which concerns the Soulanges Canal overbank sector. It covers the land between Highway 20, the Canal right-of-way and Route 201.

For the uninitiated, the main purpose of this by-law is to integrate a specific urban planning program (PPU), which aims to plan in detail the development of the Canal overbank sectors.

In July 2023, the City of Coteau-du-Lac e-mailed Neomedia: "This detailed planning, which is required by the schéma d'aménagement of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC, will make it possible to align the regional vision and expectations set out in the regional land management tool with the local development vision for this part of the territory. Generally speaking, this sector will be reserved for recreational and recreational-tourism purposes related to the activities of the Soulanges Canal regional park, the protection of natural environments and the redevelopment of the former Koa campground site,” states the City of Coteau-du-Lac by e-mail.

A divisive project

Since it first came to light, the subject has divided local councillors. At Tuesday's public meeting, three councillors voted in favour, while the other three voted against. Mayor Andrée Brosseau had to tip the balance one way or the other.

District 1 councillor Alain Laprade gave an overview of the situation on Tuesday before the vote. The first discussions took place in 2019, before being put on hold until 2024. Over the past few months, they have been rushed.

"From the outset, only two elected representatives have been involved in all stages of the project - myself and Ms. Brosseau. Early on in the project, we were told that the project was almost compliant with our regulations, and that 5 minor derogations were needed to make it so. Later, after some changes in the urban planning department, we were informed that 12 minor derogations would be required to bring it into compliance with our regulations. They had also omitted to include a municipal bylaw that greatly benefited the developer. The city had to change its regulations. Then we learned that we had to cede a portion of land to the developer in order to have an access road. This was a necessity if the project was to go ahead,” he explains.

Subsequently, he referred to a refusal of the zoning change by the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. A conflict of interest, the details of which were never disclosed, also complicated discussions on the file.

"We held a public consultation last August, where dozens of citizens came to express their concerns about the project. Following meetings held in recent months, the developer agreed to rework the project without obtaining any compensation from the city in exchange. The developer has agreed that the area to be developed will be less than the 27,000 square meters originally planned. At a later date, most of this area could be added to the adjacent Quatre-Saisons park. Tonight, the draft PPU to be adopted will regularize the file and bring the project into conformity,” he continued.

When it came time to vote on Règlement URB-299.4, Mr. Laprade admitted that it was a difficult decision to make. "On the one hand, social acceptability isn't there, and on the other, the need for housing is crying out. We're so committed to this process, and we'd find ourselves at risk of legal action from the developer if the project didn't materialize, that I'm going to vote in favor. ”

For his part, François Décosse, recently appointed representative for district 2, made it clear that the subject was of great concern to the town's citizens. This is what he noted during his door-to-door visit. "I personally met with MARE to talk about the file, and I know that the subject is close to citizens' hearts. I think the promoter has gone a long way in modifying the project. So I'm going to vote in favor.

District 3 representative André Legros also voted in favor. "We really need housing. Right now, there aren't anyin Coteau-du-Lac for citizens who want to sell their house and move into an apartment on the territory. What's more, the developer has come up with a good compromise."

For her part, District 4 Councillor Nathalie Lemay opposed the resolution. "It's not an easy decision to make. I agree with Mr. Décosse, the subject is of concern to citizens. Many of them spoke to me about it when I went door-to-door during the election campaign. The city's development scares many citizens. Personally, the Quatre-Saisons park area is close to my heart. I walk there almost every day in spring, fall and winter. I got involved in politics to develop the city in the right way. I don't want to be associated with a project like this. If the nearby Soulangeois is anything to go by, it was complicated to develop. The developer had to resort to several exemptions, so I have to vote against it. So I have to vote against it.

His colleague Christine Arseneault agreed. "MARE and the group of citizens who expressed concerns about the development of this site came up with some fine solutions to this issue. However, they were not explored or even retained. It's a shame, for example, that Bill 39 was not considered. Secondly, it's true that we need housing, but that's the case for all the towns in the MRC. I don't think we should sacrifice one of our green spaces to meet the demand ,” she explained.

Finally, District 6 Councillor Patrick Delforge also shared his views with his colleagues. "I would have liked to see more attention paid to Bill 39. We could have collaborated with MARE, who are specialists on the subject, at little cost. So I'm going to vote against it .

Fewer apartments than planned

A draft of the changes made by the project's developer was presented at Tuesday's city council meeting. It showed the areas where more vegetation will be preserved, i.e., the area facing Quatre-Saisons nature park and Guy-Lauzon street.

During the question period, the mayor clarified that the project to be built there will include 42 fewer doors than originally planned out of the 280 to be built.

"Now that the resolution has been accepted, it will be forwarded to the MRC, as it must be in line with the MRC's development plan. The MRC has a certain amount of time to respond," she emphasized.

At the end of the meeting, General Manager Jacques Legault told Neomedia that it would be surprising if any work were to take place on the site this fall. Work is more likely to start in the spring of 2025.