Dear Editor,
I attended a four-hour council meeting on Monday night, to voice my concerns over the ever-increasing size of homes on our rich and fertile Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). I came to the conclusion that few at city hall seem to even know what is going with this issue, or how we have gotten to the situation we are currently in.
I came to the conclusion that most of council knows little to nothing about the ALR. I would have expected they would at least get a one page primer on ALR land in planning meetings. Or, that they would even take a glance at the Agricultural Land Commission website, given that they are going to be voting on something this important.
At the minimum, that they would know that people who purchase ALR land aren’t required to farm it, but that there are tax benefits to farming the land.
Or, perhaps most importantly, staff would direct them to the current bylaw standards in place for ALR land entitled “The Minister’s Bylaw Standards,” which acts as a guide for municipalities
Some keys words in the document that should have been highlighted and underlined for mayor and councillors are:
“With only 5 per cent of the provincial land base in the ALR, it is important that further regulation of this land base does not hinder farming, its intended primary use…The criteria are recommended as the minimum level of regulation by a local government. Local governments can choose to be more restrictive of residential uses in the ALR…The preferred approach is to establish farm residential footprint size commensurate with urban or suburban lot areas. Bearing in mind that the priority use in the ALR is farming, permitted residential development should be no larger than that permitted in zones specifically set aside for residential development.”
Some of the goals of these standards were to address: “Minimizing loss and/or fragmentation of farmland due to residential uses…(and) minimizing the impact of residential uses on increasing costs of farmland.”
I would recommend that city councillors take a peak at this document for further information.
In fact, I realized that I knew more about the ALR than most people in council chambers. I have lived on ALR land (my parents still do), and I have done some research on it. I felt my comments and those of others who held similar concerns were dismissed by both a councillor and by the realtor/farmer who was given ample audience at council.
Apparently I am just someone coming to council who knows nothing about the ALR and lives in a ‘luxurious” home in West Richmond and would have no idea about the life of a farmer.
I would love to exchange my “luxurious” home of 1,500-square-feet with any farmer on ALR land. I intensively farm my tiny city lot. I grow hundreds of pounds of food on my city lot annually. I realize that farming even my small piece of land is a big job so I don’t discount the work of true farmers. But I don’t believe true farmers are the ones wanting to build massive homes.
Many of us were at council chambers to ensure that common sense would prevail, and for ALR regulations to be followed. But it seems money talks in this city. Or the race card.
It seems councillors Carol Day and Harold Steves are the only ones working for a truly sustainable Richmond.
What we have is land up for grabs and a council that is willing to hand it over to the highest bidder, regardless of regulations. It is shameful.
Michelle Li
Richmond
