On April 22, Ritchot’s council chambers were filled with a large contingent of impassioned Ste. Agathe residents. All of them stood in opposition, either complete or in part, to the 16 duplex-style homes being proposed for a small tract of land to the west of Samoiset Avenue.

The municipally owned 1.29-acre plot was offered by the RM to any developer who could provide the best affordable housing solution for this vacant land.

In March, council accepted the proposal of Schinkel Properties, assuming a suitable development agreement could be reached. This development agreement will also define whether the land will be donated to the developer in the end.

In so doing, council tentatively turned down an offer by NuVision Design for the construction of nine senior-friendly housing units with garages.

The sentiments shared by many of the Samoiset homeowners at Wednesday’s meeting was that there simply isn’t room for 16 homes of 1,400 square feet each to be constructed here, unless they’re built two or three stories high.

If that’s the case, they said, it could actually inhibit seniors from living there because of the need for staircases.

While the developer proposes driveways that can accommodate two or possibly three vehicles per unit, these residents say that parking will invariably leak out onto the street.

“We’re not against there being more residential opportunities for our community,” one resident told council. “But we shouldn’t just slap something together because it’s a good financial opportunity.”

“Seniors’ housing would be more appealing,” her partner added. “Especially because, with that [other] proposal, there were less units. That would open up the space, allow for less traffic. Adding 16 units with two cars per unit, that’s 32 cars to add.”

He added, as well, that if council wants to make good use of the land, perhaps it would be better served in ways that would benefit the entire community.

“I think there’s other places in the community where residences can be built and this plot of land can be used for something else, such as a dog run or a park. There’s a school nearby, but during the school year my kids can’t play there because they don’t go to school there. So we’re having to walk quite far to go to a park to play.”

Installing a community garden was another suggestion raised. One Ste. Agathe resident said she’d inquired with the RM about this option for the land in 2023 and never received a reply.

“Other people I know said that would make an amazing opportunity,” she said. “It’s not going to make you any money, but it would create community and that’s what Ste. Agathe is all about.”

Still another resident suggested that council consider that the land might need to be utilized by the province when they eventually make improvements to the very dangerous intersection of Highways 75 and 305.

“We’re taking away a chance to improve that corner because this parcel is right south of that intersection,” he said.

Another point for consideration raised with council was the lack of access to the property for construction vehicles. Invariably, they said, it would come down Samoiset, a narrow street with children at play. Even further, the condition of the street is such that heavy traffic would break it down further.

Mayor Chris Ewen pointed out that the agenda of this Wednesday public meeting was simply to vote on whether the lot can be used for a multifamily development, not to determine the type of development going in there.

He recommended that, should the project move forward, Ritchot’s newly appointed Community Safety Officer patrol the area during construction to ensure that worker vehicles don’t block or restrict Samoiset residents.

“We’ve heard a lot of this before,” Councillor Janine Boulanger told council. “Not in my backyard. That’s a quote that we hear all the time. But I have to kind of agree that it does apply here. It does seem like an odd piece [of land] to be developing this on.”

She wondered, too, whether reconsideration should be given for public greenspace if a local committee were to get behind it.

On the flip side, she added, there is a desperate need for housing across the nation, which is why council started to consider this option in the first place.

“Canada’s in a crisis,” Boulanger said. “Nobody can afford a house. Nobody can afford anything. This is one of those opportunities that we felt could help alleviate that. But is this the right location?”

Councillor Shane Pelletier recommended to council that the decision be tabled until they had an opportunity to review their recreation master plan.

“I don’t think that the developer would be opposed to getting pushed back,” said Pelletier. “But, as we all know, building costs go up pretty much every quarter these days, so that could be a sticking point.”

Councillor Jason Bodnarchuk agreed and recommended taking it one step further by asking the developer to provide an open house for Ste. Agathe residents in the meantime, for the purpose of answering questions and alleviating concerns.

The follow-up meeting is set for July 15 at 7:00 p.m. While the public hearing portion of this meeting officially closed, CAO Shane Ray indicated that there would be further opportunities for public input if a development agreement were to be reached.

“It’s really heartening to see this many people here engaged and interested in the community and wanting to speak on behalf of it,” Ray told those gathered. “I take this as a very positive thing, so I thank you. We’re having conversations with the developer right now so, some of the things that you brought up are things we will most likely bring forward.”