Ayer’s Cliff denies Ripplecove zoning change

The Ayer’s Cliff Municipal Council opted to reject, Monday night, a proposed zoning change that would have allowed Ripplecove Hotel owner Richard Laliberté to build up to 68 condominiums on his property.

“The council has decided not to accept the request of the developer,” said Ayer’s Cliff Mayor Vincent Gérin, explaining that there were “certain elements” of Laliberté’s plans for the property that council members were not satisfied with.

Gérin shared that he would rather have seen the zoning change approved, arguing that the municipality would have been able to get more control over other elements of the project if it had been approved, but he accepted the fact that the members did not feel able to proceed with the change as outlined.

“I believed that through the adoption of a zoning change we would be able to reduce the impact of this zone,” the mayor said. “We were successful to a certain degree but the council had meetings with the developer and finally the

council was not satisfied with all of the things the developer wanted to do.”

Gérin pointed out that the decision not to adopt the zoning change does not prevent development on the property. The zone currently allows for the construction of additional hotel rooms, “condotels” (condos rented out like hotel rooms for short periods of time), single family homes, semi-detached housing, or duplexes, with the restriction that the properties must maintain 50 per cent tree cover and 40 per cent undeveloped space.

According to the mayor, under current regulations, the developer can build up to 240 lodgings as things currently stand.

The decision not to change the zoning was hailed as good news by many of the residents present in the hall, although several expressed ongoing concerns about Laliberté’s plans for the property.

“I think it was a very good choice you have made,” said Michel Durand, who later expressed a feeling that any development should be focused on single family homes to maintain the spirit of the neighbourhood.

Other residents shared the preference for houses over higher density structures, with questions arising over how the community could be impacted by a sudden increase in population.

In response to those concerns, Gérin said that the municipal roads and water system can support potential development, although he pointed out that it remains to be seen what the developer will choose to do faced with this decision.