Cheap rentals on ALR land

[wanderer]

Farm housing ammendments ... a bigger footprint?
https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/1 ... amendments

[maryjane48]

your worried about this but not a dam that will flood good food growing land ?

[EZGuy]

Farm land is "subsidized" by 3 levels of government. Tax credits on income earned from the Feds and Prov, the Province and municipality offeres much reduced property taxes and the municipality charges far less for water on ALR lands. Hydro rates are reduced. These inducements were intended to give true farmers some assistance to remain attached to,the land and keep farming. Since we all eat we should have no issue with this right.

I don't have a big issue with true farm subsidies but what has gone on over the past 20 years is nuts. My tax dollars now subsidize land and utilities for some orchadists who sell product only off shore - ie cherries we can't even buy in Canada. Some larger wineries are making millions annually yet still have a hand in our pockets! Tell me why we should subsidize farms growing anything other than locally available food (not wine, much as I like wine). Yet another Liberal government legacy? Support the heck out of the true farmer, someone who produces actual food for us British Columbians. We need these good folks, especially the younger ones!

Now you have say 7 acres of agricultural lands with sleeping accommodations for 20, 30 or more people. How can that be even possible in the eyes of the regulators at City Hall? That "farm" gives over 2 acres for structures, driveways, septic fields, parking etc so there is literally nothing that can be grown on 5 acres that requires 20 farm workers. I heard from Kelowna planners that the big structures are necessary as the farmer has other lands. So distribute the 20 "workers" accommodations over several properties - say 5 people per 10 acre parcel. That way we don't get the farmer with the 7 acre parcel and 8,000 sq ft of "accommodations" plus a 4500 sq ft house and 2300 sq ft of out buildings sells the lands we don't get a "hotel" or slum lord on that parcel from the next owner.

There is some allowance for temporary agricultural-tourists but that is very limited by property size. These have become a joke too as RVs are now permenant fixtures, skirted in, haven't moved in years. Some are live in full time and sites are sold as leased land.

The people who are well paid and are supposed to be regulating all these community standards are perhaps asleep at the switch, I have no doubt that the ALR is doing nothing and the neophytes at local cities cranking out reports about as sensible as regurgitated pablum simply don't understand the implications over time, they lack the experience or just don't give a ____.

[LANDM]

Farm land is "subsidized" by 3 levels of government. Tax credits on income earned from the Feds and Prov, the Province and municipality offeres much reduced property taxes and the municipality charges far less for water on ALR lands. Hydro rates are reduced. These inducements were intended to give true farmers some assistance to remain attached to,the land and keep farming. Since we all eat we should have no issue with this right.

Which tax credits, precisely, are you speaking of from the Feds and Prov?
Yes, there is a property tax lowering for valid farmland.
The historical creation of the water systems (irrigation districts) was for the purpose of farms....not housing. The houses came later and now we have people forgetting that historical significance and wondering why farms get cheaper irrigation water...they created the systems.
Hydro rate reductions are very specific and non-commercial.

I don't have a big issue with true farm subsidies but what has gone on over the past 20 years is nuts. My tax dollars now subsidize land and utilities for some orchadists who sell product only off shore - ie cherries we can't even buy in Canada. Some larger wineries are making millions annually yet still have a hand in our pockets! Tell me why we should subsidize farms growing anything other than locally available food.

If Canadians would pay the same price for the cherries that international buyers pay, I guarantee you that the farmers would sell in Canada. And, you can, in fact, get the same cherries in Canada. Perhaps not from a specific farm, but the same product. Why is this an issue to you?
Wine comes from grapes. Grapes are a farm product. The fact that a winery is profitable and that concerns you is odd. If there are programs available to farmers, they should be available to successful farmers, not just the losers.

[EZGuy]

Landm, on tax rebates, just look at the federal tax forms, many opportuniti s for farm tax deductions. I concede that several water systems were originally installed by agriculturalists. Most of these systems have received expensive and extensive upgrades to supply to residential and commercial users. Many more new residential areas on the benchlands have installed dedicated water systems that lower lying agricultural operations now benefit from, south Mission as an example. Or the old unimproved systems are limping along with 1950's asbestos cement water mains and substandard reservoirs.

I like wine but that's not the same type of operation, or income potential, as a true farm where food for local consumers is produced. More and more farm land is converting over to vineyards meaning we need to import more and more food from California or Mexico or hey even table grapes from Argentina! Don't forget the $8.00 heads of cauliflower we were complaining about recently.

Support true farming, agricultural operations for food production. Some of these folks make $35,000 a year selling apples or asparagus and dill. BUT If food is sent outside of Canada that is a strictly a factory operation and should not be subsidized. And I have tried cherries from a certain farm who only sells to the Asian market. So much for the 100 mile diet! Wineries should be considered other than agricultural too if they rake in millions - share the wealth, don't pick my pocket!

Re the large buildings, the opportunity for abuse (rental housing), is far too great and in this valley, don't count on anything close to bylaw enforcement - most administrators are too weak kneed to let enforcement officers off the short short leash, no matter how obvious the infractions are. And the Agrucultural Land Commission has deviated far from the original mandate, to protect farm lands for true agricultural operations.