Eco-responsible parking lot at the presbytery and library/church

The City of Neuville would like to renovate the parking lot of the Saint-Francois-de-Sales-de-Neuville church, located in the heart of the municipality, in an innovative and eco friendly way in order to improve rainwater management. Water is currently diverted directly from the parking lot into the St. Lawrence River, without any prior treatment in terms of water quality, flow or volume. This deteriorates the quality of the river’s water and weakens the foundations of the church and surrounding buildings. An eco responsible parking lot will make it possible to quantitatively and qualitatively treat rainwater to eliminate contaminants and suspended matter, promote water recovery and reuse, and reduce heat island effects by decreasing mineralization and increasing vegetation and shading. More specifically, this project will make it possible to eliminate 80% of suspended matter and contaminants from the site’s runoff water, and to reduce annual rainwater discharge volumes by 65% at the receiving body using optimal rainwater management practices and vegetation cover, as well as other means (watering, atomizer, fountain, etc.). Although the City of Neuville does not have a sustainable development plan or a specific by-law on this topic, the City’s decision-makers are increasingly willing to face these issues. This project will make it possible to continue discussions on sustainable water management measures and the development of related policies. However, this project is aligned with the Programme d’aménagement des accès au fleuve (river access land works program), as well as the Plan de vision de développement (development vision plan), the Schéma d’aménagement (land development plan) and the Plan directeur des parcs (parks master plan). Innovative aspects: • The project integrates the concept of the appropriation of public spaces, which is important for small municipalities. • The co-operation of various organizations will make this an integrated project that is based on innovative methods. Replicability: The Conseil régional de l’environnement – région de la Capitale-Nationale (Capitale Nationale regional environmental council) is one of this project’s partners. This type of partnership will make it possible to share the lessons learned, reflections and new strategies developed as part of this initiative with other cities and municipalities in the territory. This project could be used as a model for small municipalities facing the same realities with regard to underused and poorly maintained spaces. (Project description from original funding application)