Metro Vancouver's board of directors gave preliminary approval to the Southlands application Friday morning.
All directors except Richmond Coun. Harold Steves voted in favour of sending the application to a public hearing, the date and location of which have yet to be confirmed.
Century Group is proposing to build 950 housing units on 20 per cent of the 214-hectare (537-acre) Tsawwassen property. The remaining 80 per cent would be given to Delta, much of it for farming.
Delta council gave the proposal conditional approval last fall after a five-day public hearing, but it still requires approval from Metro Vancouver to amend the Regional Growth Strategy.
Delta's chief administrative office, George Harvie, made a presentation to the Metro board Friday, saying covenants will provide certainty, including ensuring the land turned over to Delta remains as farmland. He welcomed Metro to be part of those covenants.
Southlands the Facts spokesperson Richard Kunz also made presentation. He told the board the application doesn't comply with Regional Growth Strategy goals and that there is sufficient space for additional housing elsewhere in Delta.
Century Group president Sean Hodgins had about a dozen supporters with him at the sparsely attended meeting in Burnaby.
