Non-Farm Use Approved for the Bradner Rest Area Expansion

11/4/2024

Source - Moti ALR Exclusion Application 67126

On September 17, 2024 the Agriculture Land Commission approved an Agriculture Land Reserve Non-Farm Use Application Submitted Under s.20(2) of the Agricultural Land Commission Act to expand the 4.15 ha Bradner Rest Area onto an adjacent 2.73 ha forest and Nathan Creek portion of the property along Highway #1, accessible West bound between the Mt Lehman and 264th St. exits. The property is entirely in the Agriculture Land Reserve.

Background

On July 24, 2023 Abbotsford City council voted to forward the application made by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTi) to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) to expand the rest area and obtain a non-farm-use designation for the land.

The expansion is part of Project No. 13253-1001 of the Highway 1 Corridor Improvement Program, which will accommodate for more vehicles, larger truck parking area, a multi-use pathway, and wetland improvements.

The application included changes to the existing rest area, including:

Relocating the sani-dump station to the west side of the property to avoid traffic backing up onto the highway while vehicles wait to access a station, and adding a second sani-dump station.
Adding 24 commercial truck rest area stalls to the existing 17.
Installing a security gate and a 24 hour security guard station to ensure that the property is utilized by commercial truck operators and the public on a short-term basis only.
To construct a 1.3 ha wetland, bioswale channel and to make riparian improvements north of the existing rest area - in an area that is currently forested and has an existing waterway called Nathan Creek as part of the Highway 1 Corridor Improvement Program's Wetland Proposal.

Nathan Creek

Source - abbotsford.ca

Nathan Creek is one of the 15 designated sensitive creeks in BC. It is listed by name in Schedule B of the Water Sustainability Regulation (PDF) and is a known Coho Salmon spawning creek.

This rest area expansion will affect one of the headwaters of the creek. A 1.3 ha wetland is being constructed to compensate for stream and wetland loss from the conversion of the existing Highway 1 median to traffic lanes. The wetland construction will require the removal of 7,500 m3 to 8,490 m3 of soil.

During construction the Bradner Rest Area will be closed during beginning July 26, 2024. Travellers in need of sani-dump services will be required to use alternative locations during this time. For a list of the free and fee-for-use sani-dumps available between North Vancouver and Hope, click here.

Read the ALC's Decision Here