Saanich homeowners will get the chance to plead their case to the Agricultural Land Commission to add a pool, outdoor kitchen and hot tub to their rural property, which is in the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Saanich council agreed this week to forward the application from Joe Kobetitch and Lynda Mason, who live on Old West Saanich Road, to the commission.
Councillors Nathalie Chambers, Judy Brownoff, Teale Phelps Bondaroff and Mayor Dean Murdock opposed the move.
Chambers, a farmer, said council should have killed the project, since it would mean covering farmland with impervious surfaces.
“We do not need to send this application to the ALC. We can make decisions right here,” she said. “This is not my vision for the Agricultural Land Reserve or for the lands outside the urban containment boundary.”
Quoting a report from the Peninsula and Area Agricultural Commission, which advises municipalities on agricultural matters, Brownoff said the renovations “add no value to agriculture, but they increase the resale value and therefore keep these lands that are in the ALR out of reach of farmers.”
The application asks to allow non-farm use on the site to add an outdoor kitchen, hot tub, swimming pool and fire pit on approximately 0.01 hectares within the Agricultural Land Reserve.
An agrologist’s report, included with the application, indicates the land in question is unsuitable for farming.
A Saanich staff report recommended against sending the proposal to the commission, saying while the proposed amenity area is not suitable for agriculture, the development would significantly increase the property value, likely making the property more inaccessible for future farming.
But Coun. Karen Harper argued that moving the decision on to the ALC was consistent with other cases.
“This [proposal] is within the area of the personal home. It’s not an area that would ever be farmed,” she said, noting the homeowners did a land assessment that concluded the land being considered for the pool and kitchen is not suitable for farming. “From my perspective, this is the type of decision that the ALC exists to deal with.”
The commission will have the final say on what happens to the land.
If it decides in favour of the application, the owners would have to go to Saanich for building permits, but would not need council approval.
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