The proposed final build-out of the Tsawwassen Springs housing development has cleared a big hurdle.
The Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) last month approved the application to exclude 1.82 hectares (4.5 acres) from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) to allow a 60-unit townhouse development.
Last December following a public hearing, council granted preliminary approval of the latest application by the Tsawwassen Golf and Country Club for the additional townhouses at the site, located at 4800 Springs Blvd. and a portion of 5133 Springs Blvd.
The vacant site is within the ALR but was not actively farmed.
The proposal, which would see part of the site excluded from the ALR, was then forwarded to the ALC.
A previous application, which had also been granted preliminary approval by council in 2017, was rejected by the ALC.
At the last public hearing, applicant Ron Toigo explained the revisions in his latest proposal, saying they should satisfy the ALC. Those include an offer to place several acres of farmland in Deroche, B.C., which is not in the ALR, into the farm reserve. The land to be included is 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres).
Under the first application, the owner proposed a voluntary contribution for agricultural capital works in the amount of $500,000 to be used towards drainage and irrigation improvements. The owner has since increased that amount to $1 million. The latest proposal includes directing the funds to the city, which would consult with the Delta Farmers’ Institute as to how to use the funds to benefit agriculture.
Delta council last week agreed to now forward the application to Metro Vancouver for a Regional Growth Strategy land designation amendment and a sewage area extension.
A regional public hearing is not required, a Delta staff report notes.
