A group of residents along Marsett Place in Saanich remain adamant that the former Royal Oak Golf Course that they live next to be left as a park, if not a farm.
B次元官网网址淲e want it in the [Agricultural Land Reserve] for many reasons,B次元官网网址� said Roger Graham, who lives on Marsett. B次元官网网址淲e view the ALR seriously, for food security, and believe this land should be preserved.B次元官网网址�
The current owners of the 27-acre property B次元官网网址� 23 of which are in the ALR B次元官网网址� to recommend the Agricultural Land Commission remove it from the ALR so it can be pursued for development purposes. Word is the application could come before Saanich council before the Oct. 20 election.
"If it was up to former ALC chair and mayor of Saanich Frank Leonard the former golf course would stay within the ALR zoning, he said" - Former Royal Oak golf course submitted for ALR removal -
B次元官网网址� Frank Leonard (@frank_leonard)
Another Marsett resident, Donna Cino, started an online petition that now has 1,100 signatures to support the property staying in the ALR and said there is an overwhelming opposition in the neighbourhood to taking the property out of the ALR.
Cino remembers the dairy farm that preceded the Royal Oak Golf Course from her youth.
B次元官网网址淎LR benefits go beyond farming, it includes biodiversity and the grounds of the golf course are recovering with flora, such as the camas coming back, and with wildlife,B次元官网网址� Cino said.
Numbered company 1122590 B.C. Ltd. purchased the property for a reported $3.5 million in 2017, which includes local figure Denis Mamic. The company hired Ross Blackwell of the Cowichan Valley to assess the agricultural ability of the land.
Blackwell said not only is the soil B次元官网网址渉eavily cementedB次元官网网址� but itB次元官网网址檚 not ideal to farm land immediately adjacent to residential density.
B次元官网网址淪ituationally, itB次元官网网址檚 a poor place to do agriculture,B次元官网网址� Blackwell said.
Anyone farming there would anticipate theft, trespassing, damage and neighbourhood complaints about noises and smells, he added. B次元官网网址淔armers have a hard time dealing with these items.B次元官网网址�
By cemented, Blackwell is referring to the dense, binding nature of the soil, not that it has actual cement in it. The golf course had a tremendous amount of fill, much of which he understands came from when the Royal Oak shopping centre was excavated.
B次元官网网址淭he land has exposed rock out-cropping that cuts the property up into chunks and disconnected bits which is hard to farm,B次元官网网址� Blackwell said. B次元官网网址淓ven discounting the quality of the soil, once you combine the things with the constraints to agricultural suitability and itB次元官网网址檚 a poor piece of land for agricultural ability, thatB次元官网网址檚 the finding of the report.
B次元官网网址淧ut it this wayB次元官网网址� if someone came to the ALR and wanted to include it, whatB次元官网网址檚 the likelihood theyB次元官网网址檇 say yes? IB次元官网网址檇 say unlikely due to the above reasons. ItB次元官网网址檚 not part of a farming area, itB次元官网网址檚 part of an urban growth area.B次元官网网址�
In fact, the old golf course is one of a few ALR plots remaining that were noted in the as isolated from other ALR in Saanich.
That includes the land that houses Wildwood Outdoor Living (formerly Cannor Nursery), which evolved from farm, to farmgate, to nursery to nursery/outdoor living store, and no longer B次元官网网址渞eflectsB次元官网网址� ALR usage. Saanich recognized that plot for future ALR removal as far back as 1993.
In 1989, the land housing Saanich Commonwealth Place, which borders the golf course, was also removed from ALR.
Despite BlackwellB次元官网网址檚 report the ALC has shown, at least recently, little interest in releasing properties from the ALR, though each property is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
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