Dear Editor,
City council appears to be oblivious to the continuing crisis in Richmond regarding mansions on farmland.
The latest incident is the widely reported B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office attempted seizure of a Richmond farmland mansion for alleged money laundering, kidnapping and violent crime.
This is just one of the ramifications of the decision of our council (Couns. Day and Steves were the sole opponents) to reject their own city staff report, and the independent report of Richard Wosney, which recommended a maximum ALR “farmhouse” of 5,400 square feet (the 13,000-sq.-ft. home in question is unoccupied, but is used to “facilitate international Chinese business,” according to its owner and was an investment that is now for sale for $6 million).
Under pressure from developers, real estate agents, and a couple of lobby groups representing a small group of farmers with interests in mansions for “cultural” reasons, council “compromised” with an allowance of almost 11,000 square feet.
Of course, this was not a compromise but a concession to several special interests.
Most councillors appeared to reject their duty to be stewards of Richmond farmland in favour of short-term electability.
The purchase of farmland for the building of mansions for wealth and speculation — both foreign and domestic — has gone on unabated.
Certainly, nobody is buying farmland at up to $1 million an acre to grow strawberries.
Council will shortly review their short-sighted decision.
The citizens of Richmond must make our mayor and council accountable for the continued assault on our farmland.
John Baines
Richmond
