91大黄鸭 council has approved the final adoption of planning bylaws that clears the way for the Gurdwara Guru Amardas Darbar Sikh Society to build a new temple at 2809 Benvoulin Road.
The decision, made at the June 9 meeting, included an amendment to the Official Community Plan (OCP), and also allowed the land to be rezoned from agricultural to institutional use.
Normally, before bylaws like these receive final approval, certain conditions must be met. These included council鈥檚 consideration of a development permit, and completion of engineering requirements. However, planning staff recommended that council waive these steps.
They noted that a design permit is no longer typically required before final bylaw adoption and will be brought forward later. Engineering requirements will still need to be fulfilled, but only before a building permit is issued.
Not everyone on council was comfortable with the fast-tracked process.
鈥淕oing back to the original public hearing, I did not support this project taking farmland to be turned into a Gurdwara, or church, or any other use to be quite frank with you,鈥� Councillor Luke Stack said. 鈥淥n the OCP amendment, I鈥檓 opposed to it because I don鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 good for our farmland.鈥�
The society is in need of a new facility. The plan for Benvoulin Road is for a 25,133 square foot, two-and-a-half-storey building. Although not within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), the property is designated and zoned for agriculture and directly borders ALR land.
A staff report to council in 2023 stated that OCP policies specifically discourage public or private institutional use including places of religious assembly on agricultural lands.
Coun. Gord Lovegrove argued that the development adds value back to the community.
鈥淭he Gurdwara is already in such cramped quarters鈥攚e know they need help,鈥� he said.
Council approved the OCP amendment with Stack and Coun. Ron Cannan opposed. Stack did vote in favour of rezoning the property.
鈥淏ut to the earlier comment that we have agricultural land in our community鈥nd is not being used actively for agriculture, that鈥檚 no reason in my opinion that it should be allowed to be developed鈥攁gricultural land should be protected.鈥�
Coun. Ron Cannan, who opposed both the OCP amendment and the rezoning, said he struggled with the decision.
鈥淭his was agricultural land that鈥檚 outside the rural boundary, it鈥檚 contrary to the OCP, staff didn鈥檛 support it, and the incompatibility with the surrounding land use, as we know, it鈥檚 ALR surrounding this property.鈥�
The next step for the project will be a form and character development permit at a future council meeting.
