Delta’s valuable agricultural lands could be at risk of conversion to industrial development.
That was the biggest concern outlined by city staff in a recent report to council on Metro Vancouver’s draft regional industrial lands strategy.
Council endorsed the recommendations for the city to support Metro’s comprehensive proposals, for the most part.
However, Delta has concerns regarding the proposal for the regional district to create a new industrial land reserve for strategically located trade-enabling industrial lands in the Lower Mainland.
“A substantial portion of Delta is located within the Agricultural Land Reserve that is under provincial regulation, and Delta contains a large port facility and associated lands that are under federal regulation. Delta has a large agricultural and industrial land base, and is committed to the protection of both types of lands. Staff are aware of the inherent pressures and challenges facing both types of land uses but feel that an Industrial Land Reserve would create another level of regulation that would hamper local government planning efforts,” the report notes.
“Considerably more information would need to be provided regarding an Industrial Land Reserve before the implications for Delta could be fully assessed.”
The report notes the draft strategy identifies four goals (or "big moves") to respond to the pressures facing the region's industrial land supply with 35 recommendations to address the challenges.
Based on the recommendations, a series priority actions were short-listed for implementation including protecting remaining industrial lands, intensify and optimize lands, bring the existing land supply to market and address site issues and ensuring a coordinated approach.
Until the coronavirus situation, Metro Vancouver staff had intend to bring the final strategy and summary of feedback received back to a final meeting of the Industrial Lands Strategy Task Force, chaired by Delta Mayor George Harvie, and Metro Vancouver board this April for final approval.
