Sechelt council gave first and second reading to a rezoning application to allow for increased agritourism accommodation at a ts'ukw'um (Wilson Creek) property and authorized a public hearing, Dec. 20.
The request is regarding a property at 1785 Tyson Road to increase the allowable agritourism accommodations from three units to 10 – the maximum allowed by the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) – and to alter the current zoning to allow for units outside the single detached dwelling.
Ian Holl, Sechelt development planning manager, explained that even though increasing to 10 sleeping units does not trigger a non-farm use application, local governments are allowed to regulate or prohibit this particular use of the land. The Zoning Bylaw update in 2022 was more restrictive than the provincial allowance so as to emphasize the primacy of agriculture in the new AG1 zone.
Holl clarified that the current Official Community Plan (OCP) does not set a limit to the allowable number of units and is supportive of agritourism balanced against agriculture being the primary use of the land.
Coun. Darren Inkster asked for details of the proposed dwellings, specifically questioning the base of the structures as no foundations are being constructed. “My concern was capping ALR land with any cement or concrete," he said. “Because it renders the land almost unusable going forward for growing.”
Holl said the structures, defined as geodesic domes are currently “more than a tent and less than a building,” and that the regulations don't necessarily specify that it can't be on a foundation structure.
He added that staff will be looking into this as the proposal progresses.
Coun. Alton Toth spoke in favor of the proposal, saying that similar geodesic domes are being used at the nearby Coast Gravity Park and ook good, and can easily be disassembled and relocated.
The proposal unanimously passed its first and second reading.
The next step will be for staff to schedule a public hearing before bringing the bylaw back for council to consider a third reading.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
