Earlier this month, Bill Randall, whose family owns the North Saanich, BC land that Sandown Park stands on, said his family would be putting the property up for sale after a land-swap deal with municipal council died after a tight 4-3 vote against the pact
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A report by CFAX 1070 quoted Randall as saying that, in light of the failed vote, that he had "wasted...the past year and a half" trying to work out a deal. The agreement would have seen the Randalls swap some of the Agricultural Land Reserve acreage with the municipality in exchange for getting the green light to have a portion of it designated as land zoned for commercial development.
The Times-Colonist quoted Randall as saying, “I guess I’m pretty frustrated. I think it was a good thing for the community, and it worked for us, too. We have been told what council’s decision is, so we’re moving forward. We’re not going to just sit here.”
Shortly after news of the failed pact broke, Ed Johnson, a spokesman for Farmlands Trust, went on the record as saying that his organization was in contact with the Randalls regarding the possibility of striking a deal.
In regard to the inability of council to green-light the agreement, Johnson said, "Frankly, I was shocked when I heard council turned it down."