For two sweltering summers in a row, there has been no sunbathing or splashing on the shores of Hudson’s beloved Sandy Beach.

Access to the crescent of sand lapped by the Ottawa River and the woodland walking trails that lead to it has been blocked with concrete barriers for more than a year now. The prohibition is the result of a standoff between the town and a developer over plans to build more than 200 housing units in the ecologically sensitive area.

But after months of hush-hush negotiations, the dispute could soon reach a happy ending.

The Town of Hudson announced in late August that it had struck an agreement with Nicanco Holdings to buy several tracts of land on the 35-hectare site for $8.7 million — $9.6 million including taxes. And Hudson council is set to adopt a bylaw to finance the acquisition with a 40-year loan Tuesday night.

It’s a formidable achievement for Hudson Mayor Chloe Hutchison and councillors who campaigned on a promise to save Sandy Beach back in 2021, on par with Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante’s efforts to set aside a broad swath of the Technoparc wetlands.

But sealing the deal may hinge on the approval of Hudson residents, some of whom are balking at what the purchase price would do to property tax bills in the town of 5,000. If enough citizens sign a register, it will trigger a town-wide referendum that will give all Hudsonites the final say on the borrowing. That vote would only be held after the municipal election scheduled for Nov. 2.

The

© Montreal Gazette