NOTE: The District of North Saanich is holding a Town Hall Meeting on Thursday June 23, 2011 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at the Parklands Secondary School Theatre (10640 McDonald Park Road) regarding the proposed agricultural future for the Sandown Racetrack property.
The District of North Saanich has received an application to amend the Zoning and Official Community Plan bylaws for the properties known as Sandown Racetrack. The uncertain future of this 95 acre property has been a concern for Council. The proposal submitted by the owners is in response to the District’s initiative to develop a solution that balances the interests of the Community and those of the owners.
One of Council’s primary goals is to maintain and improve agriculture and the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) within the District of North Saanich. This land use proposal maintains the ALR area in North Saanich by adding just over 12 acres of municipally owned land to the ALR in exchange for the removal of 12 acres of the Sandown property from the ALR. The proposal also includes the removal of commercial uses in the current P-6 zoning from 83 of the 95 acres and, in consideration of new commercial uses and density on 12 of the 95 acres, transfer of the remaining 83 acre parcel to municipal ownership, with a covenant registered on title to ensure that the land remains in agricultural use in perpetuity.
The District’s Mayor, Alice Finall, states that “we are very interested to hear from the public about this proposal. There are some very attractive aspects to the proposal. These include the removal of the commercial uses currently permitted on the whole property with the racetrack operation in the existing P-6 zone, and the ability for the District to enable a range of agricultural uses on the property in perpetuity. This creates interesting opportunities for the community such as lease opportunities for new farmers, agricultural research, farmer’s markets, community gardens, and agricultural demonstration projects. Receiving 83 acres of land for agriculture at no acquisition cost to the Municipality would be a very significant asset for the community”.
Key Terms of the Proposal:
• Consolidation of the 8 parcels comprising the property to two titles – one of 83 acres for agricultural uses, and one of 12 acres for commercial. The commercial parcel may be subsequently re-subdivided;
• The Commercial area would be located on the smaller existing parcels abutting McDonald Park Road and adjacent to the industrial area on the Sidney side;
• A covenant would be registered restricting the 83 acres to agriculture and accessory uses with the option for the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) to be a party to the covenant;
• Include 12.05 acres of municipal land in the ALR to compensate for the proposed exclusion of 12.00 acres from Sandown Raceway property;
• Include the opportunity for universities to run agricultural programs on the land;
• Change the zoning to remove non-agricultural uses on the 83 acre parcel to be consistent with the ALR;
• The 83 acres would only be used for agriculture including leases for new farmers, training for new farmers, community gardens;
• There would be soil remediation using the District’s green waste program;
• The District would enter into a MOU with the ALC and make a policy commitment to fund agricultural improvement initiatives using 50% of the incremental increase in tax revenue for 5 years minimum commencing no later than 2013. The initiatives could include:
o Drainage works to improve agriculture in North Saanich
o Retaining a district agrologist
o Agricultural training
o Supporting agricultural services for local farmers
• The OCP will contain policies to make it clear that only agricultural uses are permitted on the 83 acres using a “Special Agricultural Designation”
The proposal will be considered by Council and relevant agencies in keeping with the District’s procedures and statutory requirements.
District of North Saanich News Release (May 26)
Island Farmers' Alliance 