qathet Regional District’s (qRD) planning committee is recommending to the regional board that it have no objection to a three-lot subdivision on Roberts Road.
At the July 5 planning committee meeting, directors considered an application to the provincial ministry of transportation and infrastructure to subdivide a 4.17-hectare lot into three lots, measuring 1.11 hectares, 1.13 hectares and 1.9 hectares.
Clarke Fuller and Sherri Payne appeared as a delegation at the meeting on behalf of the landowners to answer questions from directors. Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said there are minimum lot sizes in the official community plan (OCP) and the application was below the minimum lot size. He asked if the board turned down a three-lot subdivision, would the proponents be interested in pursuing a two-lot subdivision. Fuller said that would be something that would have to discuss with the owners.
“We are trying to work within the ministry of health minimum lot sizing,” said Fuller.
On discussion about the recommendation to the ministry of transportation and infrastructure, Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said even though the lots are smaller than what is specified in the OCP, she doesn’t have a problem with that.
“As we move forward in this housing crunch, there’s a big demand for affordable housing,” said McCormick. “The smaller a property is, the more affordable it is. It makes sense to support this application in light of the fact we need more affordable housing in the area.”
Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander, in whose area the application is situated, said he agreed with McCormick, and that given the lot sizes satisfy Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) requirements for a serviced lot, he was going to support the recommendation.
Gisborne the Area C OCP includes the statement that land-use planning actions must consistent and the board can do nothing contrary.
“When I read that statement, it makes me think that the OCP policies are clear and outlined for a reason,” said Gisborne. “Personally, I don’t have an issue with the smaller lots, but professionally, I have to uphold to policies of the OCP.”
Parcel sizes
Gisborne said the property was designated rural residential, and parcel sizes for subdivision purposes will be an average parcel size of two hectares, and a minimum parcel size of 1.4 hectares.
He said that VCH guidelines specify minimum parcel size of one hectare and it was pointed out there is discrepancy between those guidelines and qRD guidelines.
“My understanding of this policy was the OCP set out minimum lot sizes, and in this case, it’s 1.4 hectares,” said Gisborne. “The first hurdle you need to get over is minimum parcel size and the second hurdle you need to get over is the VCH guidelines. The minimum parcel size outlined is 1.4 hectares, and if a property owner wants to subdivide less than 1.4 hectares, then I think that should be an OCP amendment. Otherwise, we should be turning down the application for three properties.”
Manager of planning services Laura Roddan said an OCP amendment comes at a significant cost to the applicant and it is not a quick process.
“I think the report speaks for itself,” said Roddan. “Staff has done a thorough policy review and any board decision related to land use is going to be a balance of considering the different policies that the property is affected by. Staff felt it was reasonable to recommend approval of this smaller parcel size because of a contradiction in the minimum parcel size policy statement that references the VCH subdivision guidelines.”
Gisborne said he did not believe the policy contains contradictory statements. He said minimum parcel size is 1.4 hectares, which is the first hurdle, and can the applicant get VCH serving on the site, which is the second hurdle.
“If we are going to ignore the 1.4-hectare minimum lot size, why is it there?” asked Gisborne.
He said he supported an amendment to advise the ministry that the applicant amend their proposal from a three-lot subdivision to a two-lot subdivision but there was already a motion on the floor.
The committee then carried a recommendation that the board indicate it has no objection to the proposed three-lot subdivision application, with the conditions that proof of water and septic servicing meets provincial standards, and that the applicant enter into a covenant with the qRD to restrict development on areas identified as potential slope hazard. Gisborne was opposed.
