District of Saanich Sustainable Saanich Official Community Plan

Topic	Sub-topic	Policy or Policy Excerpt	Document Location	Language Rating
development and productive use of agricultural land;	urban containment/growth boundary;	Maintain the Urban Containment Boundary as the principal tool for growth management in Saanich, and encourage all new development to locate within the Urban Containment Boundary.	4.2.1.2	*
development and productive use of agricultural land;	urban containment/growth boundary;	Do not consider major changes to the Urban Containment Boundary except as an outcome of a comprehensive fi ve year review of the Regional Growth Strategy.	4.2.1.3	*
development and productive use of agricultural land;	urban containment/growth boundary;	Do not adopt any bylaw or resolution providing for a major expansion to the Urban Containment Boundary without first obtaining the assent of the electors through a referendum or plebiscite.	4.2.1.4	*
development and productive use of agricultural land;	urban containment/growth boundary; ALR;	Support the retention of rural and farm lands through adherence to the Urban Containment Boundary policy and preservation of the Agricultural Land Reserve (Map 19).	4.2.5.1;
development and productive use of agricultural land;	zoning;	Maintain farming, food production, and large lot residential as the predominant land use on rural lands.	4.2.5.2;	*
development and productive use of agricultural land;	ALR subdivision; ALR;	Maintain a minimum parcel area of 2.0 ha for the A-1 (Rural) zone and 4.0 ha for the A-4 (Rural) zone.	4.2.5.3;	*
urban agriculture;	urban gardens/orchard;	Consider opportunities to incorporate food producing community gardens into parks and other public open spaces, where appropriate.	4.2.8.14;
development and productive use of agricultural land;	ALR exclusion; ALR;	Do not support applications to exclude land from the Agricultural Land Reserve,unless: a qualified professional agrologist provides evidence that the property is incorrectly designated; and exclusion would not adversely affect the long term agricultural value of the adjoining land within the Reserve.	5.1.1.2;	*
development and productive use of agricultural land;	ALR exclusion; ALR;		5.1.1.2;	*
development and productive use of agricultural land;	ALR subdivision; ALR;	Do not forward applications to the Agricultural Land Commission to subdivide land within the Agricultural Land Reserve ( Map 19) unless: the owner has continuously owned and occupied the property as a principal residence since December 21, 1972 and no subdivision has occurred since that date; or there are already two dwellings on the parcel; or it would facilitate changes to an existing public institution; or it would increase the agricultural capability of an existing farm as defined by the BC Assessment Authority and there is on-site evidence of keeping animals or land cultivation at a commercial level.	5.1.1.3;	*
food sales, access and procurement; economic development;	farmers' markets;	Support innovative farming and local marketing techniques such as pocket farm markets, which help improve the economic viability of food production in the community.	5.1.1.7;	*
food production; water management;	irrigation and drainage; crops; livestock;	Support efforts of farm operators and other agencies to enhance farmland and increase crop yield, by improving water supply and undertaking drainage improvements and improving soil capabilities, while considering environmental impact.	5.1.1.8;	*
food production; water management;	irrigation and drainage; crops; livestock;		5.1.1.8;	*
wildlife/environmental/pest management;	BC environmental farm plan;	Encourage environmentally sound agricultural practices by promoting the BC Environmental Farm Program.	5.1.1.9;	*
wildlife/environmental/pest management;	BC environmental farm plan;		5.1.1.9;	*
food production; economic development;	farm diversification; crops;	Support the development and operation of specialty crop farms to diversify farm production, increase economic development, increase local food production, and improve farm income.	5.1.1.10;	*
urban agriculture;	urban gardens/orchard;	Strengthen local sustainable agriculture by supporting “backyard gardening” and community garden initiatives.	5.1.1.12;	*
urban agriculture;	urban gardens/orchard;		5.1.1.12;	*
urban- ag conflict/edge planning; development and productive use of agricultural land;	urban containment/growth boundary;	Support small-scale agricultural initiatives on lands inside the Urban Containment Boundary, while balancing the need of neighbouring residents.	5.1.1.13;	*
	urban containment/growth boundary;		5.1.1.13;	*
urban- ag conflict/edge planning;	buffer at agricultural edge;	Buffer rural and agricultural lands from adjacent urban residential development as part of redevelopment and subdivision proposals, where appropriate.	5.1.1.14;	*
water management;	water rate for agriculture;	Continue to support a special water rate for agriculture.	5.1.1.15;	*
development and productive use of agricultural land;	soil; ALR; deposit of fill and dumping;	Encourage the Agricultural Land Commission to review current deposit of fill practices on ALR lands, in order to preserve the agricultural capability of ALR lands.	5.1.1.16;	*
development and productive use of agricultural land;	soil; ALR; deposit of fill and dumping;	Discourage the deposit of fill on rural and ALR lands that results in the soil’s agricultural capability being diminished.	5.1.1.17;	*
development and productive use of agricultural land;	soil; ALR; deposit of fill and dumping;		5.1.1.17;	*
wildlife/environmental/pest management;	soil; ALR;	Support the preservation and enhancement of the soil’s agricultural capability on rural and ALR lands.	5.1.1.18;
wildlife/environmental/pest management;	soil; ALR;		5.1.1.18;
wildlife/environmental/pest management; food production;	wildlife and ecosystem management;	Encourage the development of a Property Assessment policy that primarily supports local food production, and does not inadvertently result in ecological degradation.	5.1.1.19;