Senneville zoning plan angers landowner
‘They are devaluing the industrial park. They are also devaluing the residential part’
The owner of the 59-acre former veterans’ lodge/golf course in Senneville is not pleased that town council is considering mitigating residential development on his property by pushing for increased industrial zoning as part of a new master urban plan.
During a formal public consultation meeting last week, council presented the option of a larger industrial zone, south of an existing watercourse, on the former veterans’ lodge property. Residential development would be encouraged along Senneville Road, where about 75 per cent of the designated area to be developed with town house and the remainder would permit single-family homes.
When contacted by The Gazette, Mayor Jane Guest said this scenario is being ironed out and de- tails would not be available before the end of this week.
Farzad Shodjai, who purchased the property from the Canada Lands Company for about $5 million in March, said council’s aim to quell potential population growth by favouring more industrial zoning is the wrong approach. He says it goes against the grain of the town’s stated principle of protecting eco-territory and preserving as much green space as possible.
He added the option of increasing the scope of industrial zoning south of the watercourse was not mentioned when council tabled a draft of the plan last month.
“I think this is contrary to all their studies for the last four years. They spent $450,000 to do all these environmental studies,” Shodjai said in an interview. “The goal they established was to preserve the natural resources, the vegetation, and now, suddenly, they are against that.”
If the industrial zoning extends south of the watercourse, this option requires a road or bridge. It would not bring in added tax revenue since this section wouldn’t be as valuable since it’s not located right along Highway 40, thus making it difficult for him sell off this section for industrial development.
“The value of the industrial park is what they have along Highway 40,” he added. “In order to reach the industrial park south of the watercourse, they have to give off prime land along Highway 40 in order to reach into the back if they zone it industrial. So they are devaluing the industrial park. They are also devaluing the residential part.”
Under a scuttled master urban plan, blocked by voters in a referendum last fall, the town had proposed industrial zoning in the area north of the watercourse, which runs along Highway 40. This watercourse would be a natural barrier between the industrial part along the highway and the residential zone, Shodjai said, adding if the town opts to extend the industrial zoning south, a new buffer has to be established.
Earlier this year, the town of about 920 residents had been advised by the Montreal agglomeration that it must adhere to density guidelines, based on a regional development plan prepared by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, which called for at least 10 dwelling units per hectare for the section of the vets’ lodge property to be tagged for residential zoning.
Shodjai said he understands the town wants to control the number of new residential units that could be built on his property based on the regional density scales, but he added he is willing to work on solutions to ease these concerns. So far, he said council has refused to meet with him to discuss alternatives, like reducing the width of a buffer zone next to the industrial section, but still meet provincial standards, in favour of adding more accessible park space in the residential development.
Shodjai said expanding the industrial zoning south on his lot is a major change and that this option had never been considered over the past several years as the town prepared its master urban plan, a process that started about five years ago when the previous administration tabled an initial draft.
Council is scheduled to approve the town’s new master urban plan July 2.