People shouldn’t have to live in poor conditions.
That was the sentiment of council this week as they voted against a staff recommendation to deny allowing a new house to be constructed on a Ladner farm property.
Property owner David Sinclair applied tear down a farm home at his equestrian facility, which is in the Agricultural Land Reserve, in the 4100 block of 46A Street and build a new 2,465 square-foot house. The site contains an existing 7,200 square-foot farm house and an additional 1,400 square-foot house, which was constructed in 1970, for an employee. It’s that second farm house that Sinclair wanted demolished and replaced, citing concerns about the state of the structure including mold.
A planning department report recommended against the new house, concerned about the floor area of the structure on the long-term viability of farming on the property, given that it’s on a permanent foundation. The combined residential footprint on the nine hectare (23 acre) property would increase to almost 9,700 square-feet.
“It is generally recognized that allowing large residential footprints on agricultural properties may attract buyers who are non-farmers with limited interest in actual farming. Additionally, farmland with large houses may be prohibitively expensive for farmers,” the report states.
“Construction of large estate homes has been shown to drive up the price of farmland thereby making farmland less affordable for farmers and less likely to be farmed.”
Planning staff also noted the dwelling would not so easily be removed if the additional farm worker was no longer needed and that enforcing such removal would be difficult, suggesting that a mobile home should be an option.
Although Delta’s agricultural plan limits the size of the footprint of house structures on ALR land, council took a different view, saying both homes were built before Delta’s house size regulations were imposed and that there’s a demonstrated need for the farm worker home.
Heather King said the owner presented a compelling case and that no employee should have to live in the substandard conditions.
Sylvia Bishop agreed, saying what’s been proposed is a replacement house on the existing residential home plate. She also pointed out an agrologist report noted there would be no negative impact on the property.
The rest of council agreed, although Mayor Lois Jackson said she had some concerns about the potential of cluster or rental housing being added to farmland.
The property owner agreed to sign a covenant and put forward a deposit to remove the second house if the employee was no longer needed.
