The notion of putting affordable housing on Nanaimo’s last five-acre farm failed to get a five-star review from the public or city council.
City staff presented a report to council Monday, Dec. 18, with the results of the second phase of public engagement carried out to create a concept land use plan 933 Park Ave. also known as Five Acre Farm. The land is used by Nanaimo Foodshare Society for its programs and to grow food, and includes a house and protected wetland.
Public consultation in October and November involved an open house, online survey and other methods to gauge public preferences for the site.
The city purchased the farm in 2019 and a first phase of public engagement in 2022 resulted in four proposed land use options, all including affordable housing. Earlier this year, council asked that a fifth option, without any housing, be considered as well.
The five land use options – referred to as Swiss Chard, Beet, Apple, Raspberry and Carrot – were presented to the public this past fall, and 76 per cent of respondents to an online survey preferred the option without housing, reported Lisa Brinkman, manager of community planning with the city.
Coun. Erin Hemmens said she thought there was potential for housing on the site if its footprint were limited to that of the existing farmhouse, but she motioned that council recommend the Carrot option favoured by residents.
“I attended the open house and I’ve spoken with a lot of folks on this and I think that the magic of the five-acre farm parcels in Harewood is real and I’m happy with going with the community’s voice on this one,” Hemmens said.
She added that she tended to agree with staff that the city could have probably put some housing on the land, and said she’d overheard contentions that the city wanted to put housing on farmland when the actual intent of purchasing the land was to protect it.
“We bought the farm, we went out to the community and asked for their input and here we are tonight, and I don’t think there’s any space in this for the ‘evil city’ narrative,” she said.
“I think we’ve just been granted absolution,” responded Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog.
Coun. Hilary Eastmure, followed up on discussion of a creative approach for a small structure on the site.
“I wonder if a future project could include some kind of shared community amenity space, within the footprint of that existing house, that could be something like a teaching kitchen where you could connect the agricultural work with the preserving of food, the cooking of food, because I really think that is something that we really need in the community and fits really well with the agricultural use of that space,” she said.
Coun. Tyler Brown commented that affordable housing options resulted from city staff responding to “shifting goalposts by council” and were not part of the original concepts when the city purchased the property.
Councillors Ben Geselbracht and Paul Manly pointed out there is a need for green space in the area, which had also been expressed by the community. Manly and Coun. Sheryl Armstrong said they also personally supported small-footprint housing on the property and Coun. Ian Thorpe said excluding housing is not the best use for the land.
“To simply save it as-is because, historically, it was a five-acre lot for farming doesn’t sway me. Not all of the land within the parcel is appropriate for farming…” Thorpe said. “I just think that a compromise between the things that we are considering is more appropriate.”
Krog said, despite the need for housing in Nanaimo, there is no more green space being created within the city.
“This is really one of the last kicks at the can in order to have green space … ultimately it is about having space that isn’t covered by housing or apartments or whatever,” he said.
The motion to move forward with land use at Five Acre Farm that doesn’t include housing passed 8-1, with Thorpe opposed.
Brinkman said staff will return to council with an updated concept plan.
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