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Proposed zoning change sparks opposition in Vaudreuil-Dorion

Christopher Maughan and Alycia Ambroziak
The Gazette
Thursday, August 7, 2008

A proposed zoning change to allow for the construction of a car dealership along the south side of Highway 40 in Vaudreuil-Dorion has spawned a flurry of concern among many area residents.
The land, located between St. Charles Blvd. and the Château Vaudreuil, was zoned “industriel de prestige”, meaning only business like office buildings could be built there. B t city council recently voted in favour of studying  a proposed zoning change to allow for the building of a car dealership.
And that has stirred up concern among some residents, many of whom live on Sarcelles St. with backyards on or near the site.
“I don’t like the idea of these zoning changes,” said Joe Tesoro, who has lived on the street since 2005. “Anything built there with the exception of office buildings would mean more traffic for us. I have a three-year-old son - I don’t want more traffic on our street.”
Tesoro said that noise from the Highway is a constant but that does not bother him or his neighbours.
“We have a nice place to live here and I don’t want a car dealership, which would mean people test driving vehicles on our streets, nearby –  just as I wouldn’t want to see a Tim Horton’s or McDonald’s, which would also increase traffic in the area.”
“The land was zoned ‘industriel de prestige’ for a reason and it should stay that way,” he added.
Other neighbours worried that a car dealership could mean loudspeakers and bright lights over the parking lot.
“If it was an upscale dealership, it wouldn’t be so bad,” said Stephanie Vincelli. “But a lot of people don’t want to be looking down at a car dealership, in any form.”
In an interview last week, city manager Manon Bernard confirmed that officials from Honda Canada have made informal inquiries regarding the area but added that it’s too early for citizens  to get worried.
“City council is looking at what kinds of developments can be built, but we’re still in a very preliminary stage,” she said.
Bernard added that Vaudreuil council would  make sure that any development in the area would respect environmental policies.
“We don’t want to bring in industries that will pollute,” she said. “What we’re looking at is the kind of small-scale industry that’s typical of what’s already along West Island highways.”
Luc Vincent, son of councillor Denis Vincent – the only councillor to vote against the zoning change proposal – said he took the matter into his own hands when council voted in favour of studying the zoning change.
“My actions  had nothing to do with my father. A s a citizen, I just was astounded that city council could do such a thing,” Vincent said. “That’s when I did some door-to-door canvassing and everyone who I spoke to was astounded - they didn’t even know there was such a proposal on the books.”
He said one car dealer had recently requested permission to build a dealership on the north side of Highway 40, in the city’s industrial sector, where other dealerships are already established – but that request was rejected by the city.