The Agricultural Land Reserve initiative was
created in B.C. in 1973 and remains extremely beloved, with 95% of respondents
to a 2017 province-wide poll supporting it.
Last month, the NDP delivered on a campaign promise when it introduced legislation allowing BC municipalities to create rental-only zones within its borders. The demand for rental properties is huge in BC, especially in the Lower Mainland, and the hope is that this new tool will stabilize the soaring price of rents and allow residents to have more long-term security as renters.
ENM Project Manager Daniel Greenhalgh supports this new tool. ENM has recently shifted its focus to developing purpose-built rental properties in the Lower Mainland, as evidenced by its work on the 191-unit Willoughby Walk project in Langley. Greenhalgh hopes that BC mayors and councils will make use of the new zoning tool in denser areas of their towns and cities, much like the Willoughby neighborhood.
Dan sees an opportunity for the provincial government to free up non-farmable ALR lands for rental re-zoning. “Allowing exceptions for some limited-use ALR land to be developed with specific development covenants related to rental restrictions would significantly ease the current pressure on the rental market.” Dan believes that unfarmable ALR land near city centers and along transit corridors would be ideal locations for purpose-built rental properties.
If the legislation is passed, the rental-only zoning law will become the first of its kind in North America.
ENM Construction Management is the brainchild of Dan Greenhalgh and Colin Lacey. The firm specializes in construction and development management since 2008. It is a recognized member of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VCRA), serving communities in Greater Vancouver Area, including Langley, Surrey, Abbotsford, Coquitlam, and Fraser Valley. Subscribe to their newsletter to stay up-to-date with their latest projects and construction developments.
ENM Construction Management Ltd.
#302 - 19950 88th Ave East
