A new Sandown Park plan fits nicely with the philosophical feelings of all things agricultural at North Saanich. Fresh off developing their agricultural plan for the district, a new proposal would see 82 acres of Agricultural Land Reserve in municipal hands.
The District of North Saanich received an application to amend the zoning and Official Community Plan bylaws for the properties that make up Sandown Park. With harness racing halted on the 95-acre property council has been concerned about what might happen with the land.
“It has been to a degree just sitting there doing nothing and that is not necessarily good for the community,” said mayor Alice Finall. “People worry because you don’t want to see it dramatically changed ... they don’t want to see it just disappear, and certainly not languish. I think people want to see it as an asset to the community and I believe it can be.”
The proposal would see just over 12 acres of municipally owned land moved into the Agricultural Land Reserve in exchange for the removal of 12 acres of the Sandown property close to McDonald Park Road. The municipal property would be part of the more than 20 acres near municipal hall. Leaving plenty of room for the existing public works space and bike park.
“It’s part of our municipal property where the hall and the works yard are. At this point it’s rehabilitated land,” Finall said.
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 current P-6 exhibition zoning on the property predates the Agricultural Land Reserve.
“[Sandown] has had over the whole property this type of commercial zoning. You can have grandstands and clubhouse lounge facility and that type of thing there... so those really commercial uses will be removed for most of the property. They will not continue to exist there.”
Commercial tends to buffer well with agricultural land, she said, pointing out big box stores are out of the realm of reality for the property that’s easily accessible by highway, airport and ferry. “We’re planning commercial and relatively compatible commercial with what’s across the way there... It is the type of property that I think would lend itself to that,” Finall said.
Costs to the district would be explored once the proposal is a little further along.
“There’s some fairly derelict old stables there that would need to be cleaned up,” Finall said. They would also assess the grandstand area and other buildings on the property.
The proposal would see a long haul starting with an application to the Agricultural Land Commission to swap land. The proposal would also have to go to the CRD because it would require a change in the Regional Context Statement, Finall explained.
“It will have to go to the community because we’ll have to change our Official Community Plan a little bit,” Finall said.
Any OCP change comes with a significant public process, but North Saanich council hopes to hear from the public before that.
“We want people to let us know how they feel about it. Whether they think this is a good thing for the district ... but also what they would see us pursuing in terms of following through on this,” Finall said.
“There are some very attractive aspects to the proposal,” she said. “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, farmers’ 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.”