As many as 10 new religious institutions could be built in the near future along Richmond’s “Highway to Heaven,” a portion of No. 5 Road between Blundell Road and Steveston Highway.
As such, the City of Richmond is plotting to revise its No. 5 Road Backlands policy, which may include the construction of a farm access road adjacent to a proposed widening of Highway 99.
The city is proposing to entrench the backlands policy — which dictates that religious institutions on the Highway to Heaven must farm the back two-thirds of their properties — by making it an official bylaw under the Official Community Plan, according to a recent staff report.
The institutions must farm the land in order to receive tax exemptions. However, the report notes that farming activity on the majority of the properties has been limited. In many cases the backlands — which are protected by the Agricultural Land Reserve — are farmed intermittently or by inexperienced volunteers.
The city has never revoked the exemptions from any of the institutions for not fully complying with the policy.
As such, the city wants to establish a more robust “green zone” and become more proactive in ensuring the backlands are farmed to adequate standards.
The city is asking property owners to voluntarily donate their backlands to the city so that it can be farmed (by the city or via an agreement between the city and a farmer).
If owners do not want to do that, the city is offering to come to an agreement whereby the owner or an outside farmer farms the land.
For instance, the report notes developers of the former Mylora West golf course site are proposing to build five separate community institutions (which is what the present zoning permits) along No. 5 and dedicate the backlands of the course to the city for it to farm.
Meanwhile, Lingyen Mountain Temple is proposing a revised expansion plan, which will include a farming plan of its own.
In order to create the more robust “green zone” the city is proposing to build a farm road along the eastern most-portion of the lots, right along Highway 99. But for this to happen, the city needs more details from the Ministry of Transportation regarding the widening of the highway.
According to the report, the ministry is looking to obtain up to 18 metres of land from the highway, westward, to expand lanes leading up to a proposed bridge at the George Massey Tunnel.
Last month, the city wrote to the ministry to voice its opposition to the highway widening plan.
The city will also clarify residential use along the Highway to Heaven.
Under the new bylaw the city would prohibit congregate care, senior housing and single-family homes, all of which have been proposed at some point in time by the institutions and/or property owners.
