St-Lambert mayor says zoning changes aren’t anti-religion

Proposal aimed at reflecting current status of lots, protecting businesses

St-Lambert Mayor Alain Dépatie said that zoning changes presented at the last city council meeting were not discriminatory, despite reports that the changes would make it impossible for non-Christians to establish places to worship in the city.

Nine zones, down from 19, would be available for religious activities. All areas but one are currently occupied, most by buildings for Christian denominations including Catholics, Anglicans, and Seventh-day Adventists.

The definition of community centre would also be changed to exclude religious activities, according to council documents from the city’s website. Community centres are currently in a different zoning category than buildings for religious activities.

The mayor said the changes were meant to more accurately reflect the current status of the lots in the city and protect areas meant for businesses.

“We’re putting in the zoning bylaw what is there, right now,” he said. “We just want to emphasize that commercial activities have to be in the commercial areas.”

Dépatie said that previous zoning changes, including moving insurance brokers off the first floor to encourage more activity, were implemented a few years ago for the same reason.

Three commercial areas are subject to the changes, in addition to several areas zoned for public or semi-public activities. The public areas that would no longer be available for future religious buildings include city hall, the public works building, and schools, Dépatie said.

“We wouldn’t want the city hall to be a synagogue or even a Christian church. It’s a non-denominational (building). Same thing for the public works building,” he said. “We’re not saying that we don’t want any, we’re just saying that those areas are for schools and municipal buildings and things like that. Many of the (areas zoned for public works) are those buildings.”

One of the zones that will continue to allow religious activities includes an elementary school and a library as well as a Presbyterian church. Another includes a former Masonic temple at the corner of Elm St. and Lorne Ave. The building is not listed on the Masonic Grand Lodge of Quebec’s website.

“If a synagogue wants to come to St-Lambert and there’s a church for sale, we won’t say anything,” Dépatie said.

The zoning changes were among several other modifications to the same regulation that have been in the works for about a year and a half, Dépatie said. The notice of motion about the amendments affecting religious activities was passed, 6-1, was separate from another motion about the 33 other changes.

The changes still need to go through a public consultation and another council meeting before they could be adopted.

The consultation has been scheduled for Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Centre multifonctionnel de Saint-Lambert on Hooper St.