Delta council last week gave final approval to a list of changes to the city’s agricultural zone (A1) bylaw to put in in line with updates by the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC).
Having received approvals from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the updated bylaw is to simplify regulations and eliminate multiple layers of requirements to streamline the approvals process.
Delta’s A1 regulations had been stricter than new ALC requirements, according to planning staff, noting the amendments include, among other things, aligning the maximum total floor area for principal residences to be consistent with the ALC’s rules.
Other changes include increasing residential flexibility, including permitting small secondary residences, updating definitions for farm uses, including alcohol production facilities and agri-tourism, as well as expanding permitted ancillary activities to promote farm diversification, such as on-farm events.
Among the housing changes, Delta farmers will be able to increase the maximum floor area for a farm house to 5,382-square-feet, regardless of lot size, as well as have the principal farm house and and additional farm house have a height up to three storeys.
When it comes to agri-tourism, the new ALC regulations also permits agri-tourism accommodation, which is short term on-farm accommodation in the form of tents, recreational vehicles or small cabins, up to a maximum of ten sleeping units on a given property. Local governments may choose whether to permit and regulate that use.
A staff report notes that during consultations with Delta’s Agricultural and Hunting Regulation Advisory Committee and the Delta Farmers’ Institute, concerns were raised about the potential impacts of tourism accommodations on agricultural operations, including trespassing, an increase in litter, crop damage and conflicts with normal farm practices such as berry spraying.
As a result, staff recommended that proposals to establish an agri-tourism accommodation operation submit a temporary use permit application to the city for consideration, instead of the city introducing broader agri-tourism accommodation regulations in the A1 zone update.
