Port Moody has served notice to Metro Vancouver that it may seek to eventually amend the Regional Growth Strategy to redesignate 1,000 acres of derelict industrial land to allow future redevelopment.
But Richmond Coun. Harold Steves is opposing the request, warning a loss of that much industrial land in Port Moody could cause fallout elsewhere in the region, particularly if it spurs the port to buy up more agricultural land.
"Every acre of land you take out of the regional growth strategy from industrial use you are destroying two or three acres of farmland in Delta," Steves said at Metro's regional planning committee meeting Friday. "I am going to oppose this with my last breath."
At issue is Port Moody's request to add the old Petro Canada and Imperial Oil refinery sites and the Mill and Timber sawmill site to the growth strategy's "special study areas" that are under consideration for more intensive development in the future.
Metro's planners haven't yet taken a position but dispute Port Moody's position that it adopted the growth strategy two years ago on the understanding the study areas would be included.
A simple majority vote of the Metro board could change the lands from industrial to a general urban or mixed use designation.
Marking them as study areas for now wouldn't change that voting threshold because the land is already within Metro's Urban Containment Boundary.
According to Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay, his city's request is largely symbolic, correcting a mistake Metro made when the regional growth strategy passed.
"It lets people know there's some aspirations both on the city side and the land owners' side to look at those properties for redevelopment," Clay said.
"Here's your early warning - when something does come forward on those lands don't act surprised. We're sending a clear indicator it's always been in the works."
There's no development proposal pending, he said, but the Imperial Oil lands are up for sale.
Former refineries there and at the Petro Canada property shut down long ago.
"They've got hundreds of acres of unused land that somebody's going to want to develop," Clay said. "Being within the Urban Containment Boundary and being on the transit network with SkyTrain, we think we'd be doing the right thing."
The property wouldn't necessarily turn into commercial buildings or condo towers, he said, adding it's possible they could be redeveloped for industry.
Langley Township, Richmond and West Vancouver already have special study areas in the regional growth strategy.
