The MK Delta Lands development proposal in North Delta moved a step closer to reality following the Agricultural Land Commission’s approval.
The company is seeking a development on a site west of Highway 91, where 2.2 million square feet of industrial space would be developed on the 62-hectare (155-acre) parcel near Nordel Way.
MK Delta Lands says the site is ideally located for logistics or distribution centres.
The proposal also includes transferring all the company's other land holdings, which total 132.7 hectares (328 acres), to the Corporation of Delta for conservation, including land east of Highway 91 where the company had originally sought to build housing.
The property where the company wants to build is zoned industrial but currently within the Agricultural Land Reserve, so it required an exclusion from the province.
The Burns Bog Conservation Society is opposed to the development, which still requires other approvals before it can go back to council for final approval.
Several members of the Delta Farmers’ Institute were also not convinced, describing the agricultural assessment of one parcel that would be handed to Delta as weak. They wanted assurance it would be available for farming, however, Delta had planned to add it to the ecological reserve.
The land commission, whose ruling was dated last week, ruled against placing a restrictive covenant to not allow farming activity on that parcel.
Earlier this year, council voted in favour of including the Southlands as part of agricultural land compensation for the separate MK Delta Lands development.
A letter was submitted to the ALC requesting the inclusion of 111.5 hectares (276 acres) of higher quality farmland at the Southlands in the ALR be recognized as compensation for lower capability lands that were under consideration for exclusion by MK Delta Lands.
Coun. Jeannie Kanakos and Heather King were opposed, saying “yesterday's home runs can't be used for today's games.”
The panel noted the applications were each considered on their own merit and were not a factor in its decision.
The company is providing several million dollars to Delta for amenities and agricultural irrigation improvements for Westham Island, but the commission noted it was also not a factor in its decision.
