An agricultural parcel snapped up by a Salt Spring Island organization two years ago in hopes of using it for affordable housing has yet to be part of a comprehensive plan, according to land use officials — and until they see one, they said, the Local Trust Committee (LTC) isn’t prepared to consider lending its support.
Salt Spring Island Community Services (SSICS) announced in 2023 it had completed purchase of 131 Brinkworthy Rd., a 10.85-acre property fronting both Brinkworthy and Lower Ganges roads, which at the time held a two-bedroom manufactured home, a 300-square-foot studio, a barn and a shed. SSICS executive director Rob Grant told the Driftwood then he felt the land was “perfectly located” and that SSICS intended to “take our time in consultation, planning and evaluation of all of the current options and priorities.”
But in clearly frustrated correspondence heard at the LTC’s regular meeting Thursday, Sept. 11, SSICS housing and facilities manager Michael Smith said he was “formally requesting” the land use authority contact the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) and request SSICS’ parcel be removed from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) — a provincial land use zone where agriculture is the priority use and non-agricultural uses are restricted.
“SSICS is currently developing and implementing a farm on a portion of the property close to and under the power lines with approval from BC Hydro,” wrote Smith. “Our second objective is to provide affordable housing on the approximate 4.5 acres in close proximity to the corner of Brinkworthy Road and Fulford-Ganges Road.”
Smith included in that correspondence several renderings of what a developed property at the parcel might look like, including what appeared to be as many as 35 smaller structures around a central hub — suggesting that in addition to being removed from the ALR, the parcel would likely require rezoning, as 131 Brinkworthy Rd. is mapped as “Residential 3” under Salt Spring’s land use bylaw, generally permitting one or two residential dwellings.
But in the letter, Smith said SSICS was not requesting a rezoning, because “in all likelihood, the anticipated development will not maximize the allowed density.”
“This has been an unusual process where they keep asking us for a letter, but there’s no application,” said trustee Laura Patrick, “so we don’t have a staff analysis as to what they are asking for.”
Indeed, in the letter Smith recognized there had been “previous communication from staff” requesting information on how SSICS intended to provide services to the planned housing units, but implied that information would not be forthcoming.
“[The] sewer connection or septic is a CRD issue and water is a North Salt Spring [Waterworks] issue,” read the letter. “We will not be able to determine how we will provide services until the ALR designation has been removed and our financing options have been explored.”
Smith wrote there was funding available for the project but that SSICS “cannot apply with the ALR designation in place.”
The current official community plan for Salt Spring allows its LTC to support such applications to remove a property from the reserve after plans have been referred to the Agricultural Advisory Planning Committee — and if the LTC believes removal of the land from the ALR would not reduce the farming capability of the property or if the new non-farm use benefits the community and could be shown to be impossible to undertake elsewhere.
Even apart from ALR considerations, that last bar is a demonstrably high one to meet; a zoning-contrary kennel/shelter operation on Blackburn Road was shuttered in June after a temporary use permit there was denied, partly on the grounds that there were other more suitable properties for kennel operations.
On Thursday, Patrick said applications to the ALC to remove land from the reserve have not been successful, at least during her tenure on the LTC — “but we’re always willing to keep asking” when appropriate, she said.
Trustees directed staff to work with SSICS to develop a more substantive understanding of what’s being planned on the parcel — and report back to the LTC.
Just a handful of property owners have successfully applied to the ALC for non-farm use of ALR parcels on Salt Spring, according to provincial records, with less than one approval per year since 2017 — although the uses tended to be relatively minor structures, such as the open-sided cover at the golf course driving range in 2020, or tightly connected to farm use, such as an expanded use of Ruckle Farm worker accommodations in 2019.