A proposed rezoning in the Township of Langley that will result in the loss of 14.59 hectares (36 acres) of agricultural land should not move forward, according to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD).
On May 24, the SLRD board unanimously opposed amending the Metro 2050 Regional Growth Strategy and moving the Urban Containment Boundary to allow the expansion of the Gloucester Industrial Park over eight properties in Aldergrove.
Directors cited issues with growing sprawl and the need to protect the limited amount of highly productive agricultural land left in the province. Squamish Councillor Chris Pettingill said the rezoning contradicts the regional district's goal of preserving the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and countering sprawl.
“When I look at our regional growth strategy and municipally the importance of growth management boundaries and all the work we're doing on food policy and ALR protection and so on, it does seem inconsistent with what we're trying to do in terms of protecting ALR and our food production and growth management boundaries,” Pettingill said.
Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford echoed this sentiment, citing the need to keep sprawl under control.
“I think the urban containment boundary movement [is important] ... this is sprawl, whether it's residential, which tends to be the sort of the focus when we talk about sprawl, or the loss of agricultural land,” Hurford said. “I think it's absolutely worth commenting on those two aspects, which are counter to so many of our policies we are working on around this table. So I would hope that this body can make comments to that affect.”
While the SLRD is not a voting member of the Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), which includes Langley, it holds observer status and, as a neighbouring jurisdiction, can provide comments on regional growth policies.
As the proposed amendment is a Type 3 bylaw amendment to the Metro 2050 plan, the MVRD Board must approve it by a 50 per cent plus one weighted vote. The eight properties the rezoning will affect are currently in the ALR. However, the Agricultural Land Commission approved them to be removed in 2020, subject to conditions, following a lengthy court battle with property owners.
SLRD chair Jen Ford ended the discussion by pointing out that any loss of agricultural land to sustain sprawl is something the board cannot support.
“We can't protect agricultural land in one area and then give it up in another area for the sake of urban sprawl and say that agricultural land is important to us… We cannot support the loss of agricultural land—full stop,” Ford said.
