News

TheReview Monday, December 24,1990 — AI8

Relocating farmer worries about golf course encroachment!

by Mare Davis
The Review

A firm stand must be taken
against farmland being used for
golf courses in Central Saanich or
a large farming operation will halt
its relocation to the area, council
was warned Monday.

Steven Jack said his farm’s $2-

$3 million move to the Island |7
View area will be abandoned if |

council allows a golf course to be
built next door to his land.

Victoria firm Yale Holdings |—

recently applied to build a 178-

acre championship golf course at |

Puckle Road and Lamont Road,
near Island View Beach.

About 70 acres of the land
involved in the application 1s Agni-
cultural Land Reserve marginal
farmland.

“Until this is decided one way
or the other, we won’t spend any
more money. We've already spent
close to $400,000 on one barn,”
Jack said.

Jack’s business, Firbanks Farms,
includes a broiler chicken farm,
greenhouses, and bedding plant
production.

The encroachment of urban
development on farmland in Saa-
nich has prompted the move of his
business to Central Saanich from
Cordova Bay, he said.

But he’s dismayed to see the
same problem surfacing in Central
Saanich and feels he’s been forced
to rethink the move, which could
take up to three years to complete.

“The first barn, which started in
June, is now finished. The chick-
ens are not yet in our new pre-
mises and we are faced with
surrounding land use changes,” he
said.

Saanich council’s promises to
protect farmers from nearby urban
developments have been broken
and he fears the same thing will
happen in Central Saanich, he
said.

“(Saanich council) didn’t pro-
tect us and we don’t want to be in
the same predicament. You’re
either going to protect your far-
mers Or you aren't,” he said.

COURT

Continued from Page A16
alderman who oppose his proposal
ran for office on this issue in the
Nov. 17 municipal election, he
said.

“T certainly don’t feel that golf
courses was the issue,” he said.

“The people spoke loudly that it
was high-density urban develop-
ment that they don’t want.”

If he’s granted a permanent
injunction against council, golfers
may be able to tee-off for the first
time on the public facility as early
as June of 1992, Berglund said.

Originally, the green light was
given to his golf course proposal
by an outgoing council on Nov. 17
after 18 months of deliberation.

But the new council moved Dec.
3 to quash the bylaws that would
permit Berglund to turn 141 acres
of prime Agricultural Land
Reserve farmland into a golf
course.

Mayor Ted Jones said council is
within its legal rights to rescind the
golf course proposal and that he
doesn’t know how Berglund can
contend the ruling.

“7’m just exercising my rights as
guaranteed by Article 240 of the
Municipal Act,” he said.

Bylaws to quash the earlier |~
council’s approval are scheduled |
to go to public hearing Jan. 10 at |
Mt. Newton Middle School start- |

ing at 7:30 p:m.

Among Jack’s concerns is the
possibility that his water-rights
may be jeopardized if the golf
course is allowed to go ahead.

Also, golf balls that may land on
his property could be hazardous to
animals, he said.

The powerful smell of manure
would also create tension between

golfers and farmers, he said.
“You must have buffers between
intense agriculture and non-farm
use on ALR lands,” he said.
Vern Michell, the owner of a
200-acre farm in the Island View
area, said council will likely
ensure that Jack’s interests will be

safeguarded by enforcement of the -

Official Community Plan.

“Jack feels that priority will be
given to the golf course. I don’t get
that feeling after listening to the
platforms of the people elected to
council,” he said.

“I feel that agriculture will
always be given’ top priority over
any golf course”

Also, any golfers playing in the
area would have to accept that the

smell of manure is a natural'smell

normally found in the countryside,
he said.

Michell has been using large
amounts of manure on his lands as
fertilizer for years and he’s never

Continued on Page A30

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