Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Joe Erceg, Chair
Jeff Day, General Manager, Engineering and Public Works
Cathryn Volkering Carlile, General Manager, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services

The meeting was called to order at 3:35 p.m.

1.

Minutes

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on Wednesday, August 15, 2007, be adopted.

CARRIED

2.

DEVELOPMENT VARIANCE DV 06-337315
(Report: August 24, 2007 File No.:  DV 06-337315)   (REDMS No. 2271360, 2255307)

(Referred from the August 15, 2007 DPP Meeting.)

APPLICANT:

Matthew Cheng Architect Inc.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

8140 No. 5 Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

1.

Increase the maximum permitted building height within the Assembly District (ASY) zone from 12 m (39.37 ft.) to 21.44 m (70.34 ft.);

2.

Decrease the required side yard setbacks of the Assembly District (ASY) zone along the south and north property lines from 7.5 m (24.6 ft.) to 7.3 m (23.95 ft.);

3.

Decrease the manoeuvring aisle between off-street parking stalls from 7.5 m (24.6 ft.) to 6.7 m (22 ft.); and

4.

Decrease the side yard setback along the north and south property line to off-street parking stalls from 1.5 m (4.92 ft.) to 0.9 m (2.95 ft.).

Applicant’s Comments

Architect Matthew Cheng introduced Lyle Weinstein of the Thrangu Monastery Association. Mr. Weinstein reported that since the Development Permit Panel meeting of August 15, 2007, during which the issues of height, shadowing, landscaping and drive aisle width were raised, the applicant, working with City staff, had addressed each issue. He summarized the solutions to mitigate the issues:

·         

the height of the assembly building has been reduced (from 23.6 metres to 21.44 metres), and, generally speaking the reduction of height was achieved by decreasing the architectural elements, and more specifically, by reducing the scale of the clerestory and cupola that sit atop the main portion of the building, as well as the reduction of the scale of the decorative spire atop the cupola;

·         

the potential impact of shadowing on neighbouring properties has been mitigated by the reduction in the height of the assembly building, and any shadowing as the sun sets would be confined to a narrow band of shadow falling onto the property to the east;

·         

landscaping elements have been enhanced to improve screening to properties to the north and to the south; a combination of wood fencing (6 ft. in height along the perimeter and 4 ft. in height within the front yard) and a hedgerow (5 ft. in height and planted at 2 ft. spacing);

·         

the drive aisles along the north and south property line will accommodate two-way traffic, required for both safety and access reasons, and have been amended to meet the required set back.

Staff Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

None.

Panel Discussion

The Chair expressed appreciation to the applicant and to staff for conducting the joint review. He commented that the issues raised at the August 15, 2007 meeting of the Development Permit Panel regarding the proposed development had been addressed.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Variance Permit be issued which would vary the provisions of the Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 5300 to:

1.

Increase the maximum permitted building height within the Assembly District (ASY) zone from 12 m (39.37 ft.) to 21.44 m (70.34 ft.);

2.

Decrease the required side yard setbacks of the Assembly District (ASY) zone along the south and north property lines from 7.5 m (24.6 ft.) to 7.3 m (23.95 ft.);

3.

Decrease the manoeuvring aisle between off-street parking stalls from 7.5 m (24.6 ft.) to    6.7 m (22 ft.); and

4.

Decrease the side yard setback along the north and south property line to off-street parking stalls from 1.5 m (4.92 ft.) to 0.9 m (2.95 ft.).

CARRIED

3.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 07-363084
(Report: August 21, 2007 File No.:  07-363084)   (REDMS No. 2230448)

APPLICANT:

Tussy Berg, Markus Berg and Viktor Berg of H.A. Berg Investments

PROPERTY LOCATION:

11991 No. 1 Road (formerly 11991 No. 1 Road and 3911/3931 Chatham Street)

INTENT OF PERMIT:

1.

To permit the construction of a three-storey mixed-use building consisting of approximately 156 m² (1,674 ft²) of commercial space and 10 dwelling units on a site zoned “Steveston Commercial (Three-Storey) District (C5)”; and

2.

To vary the provisions of the Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 5300 to:

a)

increase the building maximum height from 12 m to 12.9 m for roof accesses;

b)

decrease the minimum manoeuvring aisle width from 7.5 m to 6.7 m; and

c)

permit 21% small car sized off-street parking spaces (6 spaces).

Applicant’s Comments

Applicant Tussy Berg, accompanied by John Lo, representing Interface Architecture addressed the Panel and made the following remarks:

·            

the project has been reviewed by the City’s Heritage Commission, by the Planning Committee and by the Advisory Design Panel, and has undergone revisions based on feedback gleaned from these committees;

·            

the ground level of the three storey structure comprises one level retail and commercial units, with ten stacked residential units on the second and third levels;

·            

the desired variance of .9 metres, to increase the building maximum height from 12 m to 12.9 m is to accommodate easy access to the roof for residents of the 10 units;

·            

the roof is designed to encourage residents to use the space for gardening; each planting surface will be raised as “beds”, and the roof membrane will not be used for planting in order to avoid any drainage issues;

·            

the request to decrease the minimum manoeuvring aisle width (from 7.5 m to 6.7 m) would allow for several of the parking spots to be slightly narrower than the norm, with one or two having less depth than is usual.

Staff Comments

Wayne Craig, Acting Director of Development, reported that: (i) the proposal meets parking requirements; (ii) one of the residential units is designed for full wheelchair access; and (iii) universal accessibility measures have been incorporated into the other nine residential units.

Mr. Craig stated, with reference to the Steveston Character Areas General Guidelines (on file in the Clerk’s Office), that the project meets the majority of the guidelines but that the window materials, chosen for durability, do not meet the wood frame guideline.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

None.

Panel Discussion

In response to a query, Mr. Lo stated that residential units are accessed from the back of the L-shaped building.

In response to a query regarding the roof, Jenny Liu of JHL Design Group Inc., landscape architect for the development, advised that each unit will be fitted with individual planters, and that the design includes extra drainage elements to avoid any problems arising from watering. Residents’ roof-top gardens, in their own moveable planter units as well as the hedge that will separate the individual spaces, will lend an appearance of a green roof. Ms. Liu added that the roof will not have an irrigation system.

In terms of exterior materials, Mr. Berg reported that the street-level facades will incorporate normal glazing and atomized aluminium supports, and that the building will include a type of Hardi-plank siding, vinyl window frames, wood trim and cornice, as well as wood picket fencing. He mentioned that as little wood as possible will be used due to both its unpredictability and its tendency to warp, twist and/or crack. For the purpose of maintaining the structure’s integrity over the long term, vinyl window frames will be used instead of wood frames.

Discussion ensued between the applicant and the Panel with regard to the appearance of the development and how it will look Steveston-appropriate. The applicant remarked that when choosing between wood framing and aluminium, the chief concern was durability, with wood’s durability in question and aluminium the more durable of the two materials.

The Chair stated that the Panel desired a commitment from the applicant that he would explore available types of aluminium window frame materials, with a view to choosing one that more closely simulate wood, such as a brown or bronze colour, rather than a silver aluminium.

Mr. Berg stated that the issue will be investigated thoroughly.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would:

1.

Permit the construction of a three-storey mixed-use building consisting of approximately 156 m² (1,674 ft²) of commercial space and 10 dwelling units at 11991 No. 1 Road (formerly 11991 No. 1 Road and 3911/3931 Chatham Street) on a site zoned “Steveston Commercial (Three-Storey) District (C5)”; and

2.

Vary the provisions of the Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 5300 to:

a)

increase the building maximum height from 12 m to 12.9 m for roof accesses

b)

decrease the minimum manoeuvring aisle width from 7.5 m to 6.7 m; and

c)

permit 21% small car sized off-street parking spaces (6 spaces).

CARRIED

4.

Adjournment

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting be adjourned at 4:14 p.m.

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Wednesday, September 12, 2007.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Joe Erceg
Chair

Sheila Johnston
Committee Clerk