Ministry of Agriculture
Strengthening Farming
Residential Uses in the ALR Consultation - now closed.
WELCOME
Thank you for visiting the Residential Uses in the ALR Consultation webpage.
Comments will be accepted through the online Survey (available below on this webpage) until midnight, Pacific Time, July 14, 2011.
BACKGROUND
The Ministry of Agriculture is developing a draft Minister’s bylaw standard for residential uses in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) to guide local governments. This standard would give local governments criteria to assist them when developing bylaws.
Please note that this process is not part of the ALR review carried out by the Chair of the Agricultural Land Commission and completed during the fall of 2010.
Residential Uses in the ALR
Local governments have extensive rules and regulations for size and placement of buildings on parcels in urban areas. Some zones even have requirements related to landscaping and the final appearance of the parcel.
The ALR is a provincial zone in which agriculture is the priority use. Within the ALR, local governments have typically not specified size and placement requirements for residential uses. The growth in the urban population and recreational and second home development, adjacent to a fixed ALR boundary, has contributed to increasing residential uses in the ALR instead of farm-oriented residential uses.
With limited or no local government bylaw regulation on residence size and placement, residences in the ALR are sometimes built in a way that has long-term negative impacts on the agricultural potential of the specific lot and the surrounding lots. Often, the homeowners have little or no interest in farming, so the land goes out of production. Sometimes, they object to how neighbouring farms operate.
Local Government Interest in Residential Uses in the ALR
There is growing interest in managing residential uses in the ALR. Metro Vancouver has asked the Minister of Agriculture to limit the size and location of residential footprints on farmland. As a first step, the Ministry has developed a discussion paper proposing a bylaw standard to guide local government bylaw development. As part of the development of this standard, the Ministry of Agriculture is seeking input from a broad audience through this consultation process.
HOW TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK
It is recommended that all respondents review the Discussion Paper in advance of answering the Survey.
All responses will be taken into consideration during the rest of the development process.
If you are unable to submit your Survey electronically, you may also reply by letter or fax to:
Residential Uses in the ALR Consultation
Ministry of Agriculture
1767 Angus Campbell Road
Abbotsford, BC V3G 2M3
Fax: 604-556-3099
For questions regarding the consultation please contact: hannah.cavendishpalmer@gov.bc.ca or 604-556-3090.
TERMS OF USE
Collection of Personal Information: We encourage responses to the discussion paper through the online survey, or by letter or fax. Any collection of personal information is done for the purpose of the consultation process in accordance with section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA). Please do not include the personal information of others without their authorization in the comments boxes of the survey or in any other submission.
Freedom of Information Requests: Any information submitted through this website becomes a government record. These submissions may be the subject of an access to information request under FOIPPA.
Additional Terms: Please review the content of the Copyright, Disclaimer and Privacy notices at the bottom of this page.
THANK YOU
We value your input and responses to the questions posed in this survey.
Thank You for submitting your comments.
