Dear Editor,
Re: “Property rights clash with ‘city slicker’ council,” Feature, Friday, March 10.
I read Mr. Badh’s comments about mega-homes on Richmond Farmland with much skepticism.
First of all, it is not fair for Mr. Badh to characterize this issue as “farmers versus city slickers.” We all have an interest in preserving farmland, regardless of whether we live and work on those farms.
It’s a question of balancing very limited private interests with greater public interests.
If anything, Richmond city council has been excessively generous with local farmland owners. When this issue came up several years ago, council balked at any action that would limit home size.
Meanwhile, several other municipalities have already imposed such restrictions, most notably Delta, which has restricted home sizes to 3,552 square-feet.
With no comparable rules, Richmond has become a preferred jurisdiction for farmland developers and speculators.
It should also be noted that the provincial government has exempted farmland from the foreign buyers’ tax.
My second concern is that Mr. Badh has a very conspicuous conflict of interest. He wears two hats.
As a blueberry farmer, he claims that large houses are needed to accommodate multi-generational families to work the land.
But as a realtor, he has listings for multi-million-dollar farm properties where he advertises the opportunity for prospective purchasers to build their “dream homes.”
Not dorms for workers, but dream homes which, under current rules, could easily surpass 20,000 square-feet.
Also, Mr. Badh has listed his own 20-acre farm for $6.9 million. That works out to $345,000 per acre, a valuation that has little to do with the property’s utility as farmland, and much to do with its development potential.
Thirdly, Mr. Badh’s resistance to restrictions needs to be put in historical context. According to city staff, the average application for home construction on Richmond farmland rose from 8,557 square-feet in 2010 to 12,583 square-feet in 2015. How is it that, with significant improvements in production efficiency, Richmond farmers need larger, rather than smaller homes?
Finally, it should be noted that most of these new mega homes are designed for luxury living with wealthy residents that have no direct involvement in farming. Current ALR listings in Richmond note amenities such as pools, gyms, entertainment centres, libraries, games rooms, cocheres and “stunning mountain views.”
City council has two choices. It can continue to cater to private interests, with farmland developers and speculators building larger and more expensive homes, or it can implement new rules similar to Delta or the provincial guidelines (5,400 square-feet). Anything in excess of those guidelines will be a “win” for speculative real estate interests. Only then will council reflect the spirit and purpose of the ALR , which is to grow things, not build things.
John Baines
Richmond
