Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Council Chambers

Richmond City Hall

Present:

Joe Erceg, Chair

Robert Gonzalez, General Manager, Engineering and Public Works

Cathryn Volkering Carlile, General Manager, Community Services

The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m.

1.

Minutes

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on Wednesday, July 14, 2010, be adopted.

CARRIED

It was agreed by the Panel that Item 2 be considered after Item 5.

3.

Development Permit 10-520511
(File Ref. No.: DP 10-520511)   (REDMS No. 2935145)

APPLICANT:

Onni Group of Companies

PROPERTY LOCATION:

6951 Elmbridge Way

INTENT OF PERMIT:

1.

Permit the construction of a mixed-use project at 6951 Elmbridge Way, on a site zoned “Residential/Limited Commercial (RCL3)”, incorporating three towers of varying heights (i.e. approximately 39 m, 44 m, and 47 m geodetic), 324 dwellings including 70 live/work dwellings and 20 low-end market rental units (secured via a Housing Agreement), approximately 6,200 m2 (67,000 ft2) of ground floor retail, large outdoor and indoor amenity spaces at the project’s podium roof level, green roofs on a minimum of 50% of the project’s total roof area, and three levels of parking (711 spaces); and

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, as amended by zoning amendment Bylaw No. 8604, to:

a)

reduce the minimum allowable front yard and exterior side yard setback along Elmbridge Way, Hollybridge Way, and River Road for portions of the building that are situated below finished grade from 3.0 m to no setback required;

b)

reduce the minimum allowable exterior side yard setback along Hollybridge Way, south of Lansdowne Road, from 3.0 m to 2.0 m;

c)

increase the maximum allowable projection for balconies projecting into an exterior side yard setback along Hollybridge Way, south of Lansdowne Road, from 1.0 m to 2.6 m; and

d)

increase the maximum allowable projection for architectural features projecting into an exterior side yard setback along Hollybridge Way, at the end of Lansdowne Road, from 0.6 m maximum to no setback required.

Applicant’s Comments

Alex Orr, Onni Group of Companies and Jeff Mok, IBI Group, provided background information on the proposed development and highlighted the following:

·          

the project has one underground parking and two parking levels above the ground floor retail spaces; parking is wrapped around by live-work units;

·          

there is a green outdoor area on the podium roof at level 5; the common outdoor and indoor amenity spaces for all residents are located on this level;

·          

the podium landscape meets the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard; green roofs constitute 50 percent of the project’s total roof area;

·          

live-work units continue to wrap up at the 5^th level, forming a kind of townhouse living with a work component;

·          

the three towers of the development have varying heights of 15, 14 and 12 storeys;

·          

there is an iconic architectural element designed as an art sculpture at the terminus of Lansdowne Road signifying a gateway to the Oval Village;

·          

the blue colours in the building fronting the Oval mimic the colours in the Oval;

·          

the primary access to parking is through the new service lane along the existing property line connecting Elmbridge Way to River Road; loading as well as garbage and recycling facilities are provided along this lane; and

·          

bicycle storage facilities are incorporated into the parkade.

Panel Discussion

In response to queries from the Panel, Mr. Orr and Mr. Mok advised the following:

·          

a proposed linear park along Hollybridge Way, intended to be a prominent feature in the Oval Village, features the Hollybridge Canal, a Riparian Management Area (RMA), the Hollybridge Way promenade along the street edge, and a ‘rain garden’ storm water management system; the park also provides viewing and seating areas, walkways, and related amenities;

·          

there are commercial spaces on the west side of the public walkway along Hollybridge Way that can accommodate coffee shops and restaurants and large retail formats such as grocery stores;

·          

the development provides for both indoor and outdoor bicycle parking;

·          

curved tower ‘fins’ and the use of blue colour relate to the Oval;

·          

the live-work units on the lower levels are accessed through their own private elevator, lobby and corridors;

·          

the north face of the development fronting the Oval incorporates ground floor retail spaces;

·          

around 60,000 square feet of commercial spaces wrap around three street frontages; about 30,000 square feet are intended for large retail format such as a grocery store; and

·          

the project’s sustainability features targeted to meet LEED Silver standards include primarily the green roofs which cover around 50 percent of the development’s roof area including some residential components; other sustainability features of the project are: rain water garden storm water management, possible tie-up to a future District Energy Utility (DEU) system of the City, 50-50 solid wall to glazing ratio, water management and garbage and recycling systems.

In response to a query whether the maintenance of the City’s properties along Hollybridge Way would meet the City’s standard, Ms. Suzanne Carter, Senior Planner, Planning and Development, advised that Parks has been involved in the design process of the Hollybridge Canal Park and its future maintenance has been taken into account.

Staff Comments

Brian Jackson, Director of Development, commended the applicant for responding well to (i) the challenge posed by the Hollybridge canal; (ii) all four public road and lane conditions and the requirements set out in the City Centre Area Plan; (iii) environmental issues including LEED Silver equivalency; and (iv) the challenge of how to address the Oval. He also commended Ms. Carter for working hard with the applicant in addressing these issues.

Mr. Jackson advised that he supports the Development Permit application and the variances. He stated that (i) the first variance requested has no impact on project urban design as it occurs at the underground parking; (ii) the variances for the exterior sideyard and allowing for projections apply only to the tower at the southeast corner of the development; and (iii) the variance to increase the projection for the architectural feature is supported by staff as the proposed element serves as a focal point in Lansdowne Road.

In response to a query whether the architectural feature at the Lansdowne Road terminus is a public art contribution, Mr. Jackson stated that the introduction of the said feature was the applicant’s own initiative.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

Ladislav Dolejsi, 7831 Westminster Highway, representing Strata BCS 251 (Capri Building) queried whether there is adequate vehicle and bicycle parking in the proposed development. He also remarked that the developer of Capri Building failed to construct the bicycle storage facilities included in the building’s plan.

Advice was given by Mr. Jackson that the proposed development surpasses the City’s Zoning Bylaw requirements for vehicular parking as well as indoor and outdoor bicycle parking.

The Chair advised Mr. Dolejsi to discuss with Mr. Jackson his concern regarding the absence of bicycle storage facilities in his building.

Panel Discussion

The Panel noted that the project is well executed and expressed their support.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would:

1.

Permit the construction of a mixed-use project at 6951 Elmbridge Way, on a site zoned “Residential/Limited Commercial (RCL3)”, incorporating three towers of varying heights (i.e. approximately 39 m, 44 m, and 47 m geodetic), 324 dwellings including 70 live/work dwellings and 20 low-end market rental units (secured via a Housing Agreement), approximately 6,200 m2 (67,000 ft2) of ground floor retail, large outdoor and indoor amenity spaces at the project’s podium roof level, green roofs on a minimum of 50% of the project’s total roof area, and three levels of parking (711 spaces); and

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, as amended by zoning amendment Bylaw No. 8604, to:

a)

reduce the minimum allowable front yard and exterior side yard setback along Elmbridge Way, Hollybridge Way, and River Road for portions of the building that are situated below finished grade from 3.0 m to no setback required;

b)

reduce the minimum allowable exterior side yard setback along Hollybridge Way, south of Lansdowne Road, from 3.0 m to 2.0 m;

c)

increase the maximum allowable projection for balconies projecting into an exterior side yard setback along Hollybridge Way, south of Lansdowne Road, from 1.0 m to 2.6 m; and

d)

increase the maximum allowable projection for architectural features projecting into an exterior side yard setback along Hollybridge Way, at the end of Lansdowne Road, from 0.6 m maximum to no setback required.

CARRIED

4.

Development Permit 10-525175
(File Ref. No.:  10-525175)   (REDMS No. 2908976)

APPLICANT:

Brook + Associates Inc.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

3200 Sweden Way, 13091, 13131, 13080, 13120 Bathgate Place and the northern 1.66 hectares (4.1 acres) of 3810 Jacombs Road (addressed as 3760 and 3820 Jacombs Road), the existing Bathgate Place surplus City Road Right-of-Way, and portions of the existing Jacombs Road surplus City Road Right-of-Way.

INTENT OF PERMIT:

1.

Permit the construction of a new IKEA Store with a total floor area of 32,036 m² (344,832 ft²) located at 3200 Sweden Way, 13091, 13131, 13080, 13120 Bathgate Place and the northern 1.66 hectares (4.1 acres) of 3810 Jacombs Road (addressed as 3760 and 3820 Jacombs Road), the existing Bathgate Place surplus City Road Right-of-Way and portions of the existing Jacombs Road surplus City Road Right-of-Way on a site zoned Industrial Retail (IR1);

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to increase the maximum building height from 12 m to 20.30 m.; and

3.

Vary the provision of the Richmond Sign Bylaw 5560 to:

a)

increase the maximum allowable area for fascia signs from 526.5m² to 755m²;

b)

increase the maximum allowable number of free standing signs from 3 to 13 as identified in the Development Permit package;

c)

increase the maximum allowable area for an electronic message board from 29.4 m² to 88.2 m²; and

d)

increase the maximum allowable height of the freestanding navigation sign from 12 m to 35 m. 

Applicant’s Comments

Chuck Brook, Brook + Associates, Inc., provided the following background information on the proposed development:

·          

the existing IKEA store will continue to operate while the new IKEA facility is under construction; after completion of the new IKEA store, the old store will be demolished and the area subdivided into a private parcel of land;

·          

IKEA acquired additional property to accommodate a new store, new public road, and a future warehouse facility to achieve operational and environmental efficiency;

·          

the new IKEA site will be accessed by vehicles from the southbound traffic on Knight St. through a dedicated right turn lane onto the new one-way public connector road; from the west on Bridgeport Road, vehicles can turn right onto Sweden Way and then turn left onto a new elongated service road which leads to the outdoor parking area;

·          

circulation of commercial trucks coming from Knight St. works the same way as other vehicles but exits into a dedicated truck exit which is not open to regular vehicular traffic;

·          

IKEA has indoor and outdoor parking areas; the store is essentially built on stilts with access into the main and second levels of the indoor parking area; the outdoor parking area is to the north of the IKEA store;

·          

from the outdoor parking lot, pedestrians can walk into the pedestrian walkway on the south side of the parking lot to access the main plaza area which is outside of the main pedestrian entrance to the store; the pedestrian circulation system encourages pedestrians to move southward towards the main entrance along Jacombs Road;

·          

an important landscaping feature of the project is a 4-metre high green screen along the Knight St. corridor which is a galvanized steel trellis extending across the loading deck which allows vegetation to grow up the screen to hide the view of trucking operations from Knight St.;

·          

landscaping along Knight St. also includes the existing trees; deciduous and coniferous trees will be added to enhance landscape screening along Knight St.;

·          

the entrance plaza at the north end of Jacombs Road features permeable paving treatment which enhances pedestrian experience and forms part of the storm water management strategy;

·          

around 250 trees in the outdoor parking area are closely spaced with a ratio of one tree per three parking spaces and provide a canopy over the entire parking lot; paver treatment at the rows of trees helps break up the large areas of asphalt;

·          

all green landscaping is irrigated with water collected from the roof of the building; 25 existing mature trees will be relocated to King George Park;

·          

the level 2 patio adjacent to the co-worker restaurant accommodates planters with small trees, shrubs and herbs;

·          

IKEA has made some changes to the project in response to the comments made in the Public Hearing and in the Advisory Design Panel review; and

·          

the store incorporates the new global conceptual standard of IKEA.

Panel Discussion

In response to queries from Panel, Mr. Brook and Mr. David O’ Sheenan, Abbarch Architecture, Inc., provided the following information:

·          

the future warehouse could be built within five years; there is a requirement that the construction of the facility will start when IKEA’s business volume increases in the future;

·          

staff facilities include bicycle parking and storage, change rooms, and showers;

·          

future vehicle access to the parcel of land that will be subdivided will be through the access off Sweden Way; there will also be shared access for trucks; trucking operations in the new IKEA facility occur during the store’s off-hours;

·          

loading areas for IKEA customers are located both inside and outside of the building;

·          

the proposed 88.2 square meter electronic message board will be used to (i) introduce new product lines and promotional items; and (ii) promote sustainability;

·          

IKEA’s comprehensive storm water management features (i) the ‘blue roof’ which stores 8 to 10 inches of rainwater and reduces around 20 percent of overall storm water discharge; (ii) the plaza area which is significantly porous; and (iii) the pervious strips between the parking aisles in the outdoor parking area;

·          

the free-standing signs which are subject of the request for variance include flags, site wayfinding signs, courtesy signs or signs under the building that are not visible from the street; they provide brightness, vibrancy and animation to the customer shopping experience;

·          

the request for the increase of the height of the free standing navigation sign is based on (i) IKEA’s global corporate standard of 40 meters although the applicant has reduced it to 35 meters; (ii) the height of IKEA’s new store which is 20 meters; (iii) IKEA’s new access system which necessitates that the southbound traffic along Knight Street be guided to the new public connector road; and (iv) studies conducted on sign visibility which found that on this particular site the 35-meter height is required to allow motorists to safely exit Knight Street; and

·          

the sustainability features of the freestanding navigation sign include photovoltaic panels around the column of the sign and a water storage system at the base.

Staff Comments

Mr. Jackson advised that staff supports the Development Permit application and the variances. He stated that he supports the variance of the height of the building from 12 meters to 20.30 meters because the building is built on stilts and should take maximum advantage of the amount of land that is being developed.  He added that staff is supportive of a higher building that is being considered as it has no impact on adjacent open space and residential developments.

With regard to the variance sought on the allowable signage both in terms of number and area, Mr. Jackson stated that the signage variances are appropriate considering the size of the building and its site context.

Mr. Jackson commended the applicant for responding extremely well in terms of trying to make the site as green as possible by proposing a ‘blue roof’ which meets the same Bylaw requirements for buildings over 20,000 square feet as Richmond’s ‘Green Roof’ Bylaw No. 8385 allows for alternatives to green roofs. He pointed out that technically, the applicant does not have to meet the Bylaw requirements because the proposed IKEA building is neither an industrial nor an office building.

Mr. Jackson stated that the proposed development will double the size of the existing IKEA store and presents some interesting challenges to staff and the applicant in terms of transportation and access. He mentioned that Planning staff and the applicant discussed these challenges early in the process and came up with a package of improvements that were cost-effective to the applicant and at the same time ensured that no additional onus will be put on Bridgeport Road in terms of access to the site. He added that the idea of the new access road to the south of the store came up as a response to these challenges.

In concluding his remarks, Mr. Jackson advised that the applicant’s overall response to the challenges faced by the project have improved the size and quality of the proposed development.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

None.

Panel Discussion

The Chair remarked that the staff recommendation is positive and noted that many elements of the project are commendable. He stated that the variance sought for the free-standing navigation sigh is based on sensitivity analysis that indicates that this height is required to allow motorists to identify the site in time to safely exit Knight Street.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would:

1.

Permit the construction of a new IKEA Store with a total floor area of 32,036 m² (344,832 ft²) located at 3200 Sweden Way, 13091, 13131, 13080, 13120 Bathgate Place and the northern 1.66 hectares (4.1 acres) of 3810 Jacombs Road (addressed as 3760 and 3820 Jacombs Road), the existing Bathgate Place surplus City Road Right-of-Way and portions of the existing Jacombs Road surplus City Road Right-of-Way on a site zoned Industrial Retail (IR1);

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to increase the maximum building height from 12 m to 20.30 m.; and

3.

Vary the provision of the Richmond Sign Bylaw 5560 to:

a)

increase the maximum allowable area for fascia signs from 526.5m² to 755m²;

b)

increase the maximum allowable number of free standing signs from 3 to 13 as identified in the Development Permit package;

c)

increase the maximum allowable area for an electronic message board from 29.4 m² to 88.2 m²; and

d)

increase the maximum allowable height of the freestanding navigation sign from 12 m to 35 m. 

CARRIED

5.

Development Variance Permit DV 10-529985
(File Ref. No.:  DV 10-529985)   (REDMS No. 2901254)

APPLICANT:

Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning Ltd.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

5631 Parkwood Way

INTENT OF PERMIT:

To vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to increase the maximum building height to 14.4 m (47.25 ft) for elevator towers only.

Applicant’s Comments

Douglas Steele, Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning, Ltd., provided the following information in explaining the reason for the requested variance:

·          

a car elevator and a passenger elevator are located in the Lexus Auto Dealership in the Richmond Auto Mall, a two-storey building with an area of 70,000 square feet;

·          

the original measurements of the elevator shaft were based on the standard specifications of a particular elevator supplier; however, the new supplier which was awarded the contract to provide the elevator equipment requires a higher travel overhead space at the top of the elevator tower;

·          

compounding this issue is the fact that it was found out that the existing water table at the site was higher than originally expected, so that the elevators will have to be located 4.6 feet deep instead of 6 feet deep as originally planned; and

·          

the requested variance applies to both the passenger and car elevators.

Staff Comments

Mr. Jackson advised that staff supports the Development Variance application.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

None.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 be varied to increase the maximum building height to 14.4 m (47.25 ft) for elevator towers only.

CARRIED

2.

Development Permit 07-359083
(File Ref. No.:  DP 07-359083)   (REDMS No. 2920848)

APPLICANT:

Phileo Development Corp.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

5891, 5931 No. 3 Road, 5900 Minoru Boulevard and a Surplus Portion of No. 3 Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

1.

Permit the construction of two (2) 16-storey high-rise buildings with ground floor commercial retail space and townhouses with a total area of approximately 27,362 m2 as Phase I of a comprehensive Mixed-Use Residential, Institutional & Community Use development at 5891, 5931 No. 3 Road, 5900 Minoru Boulevard and a surplus portion of No. 3 Road on a site zoned “Downtown Commercial and Community Centre/University (ZMU15) – Lansdowne Village (City Centre)”; and

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to:

a)

reduce the minimum Public Road setback from 3.0 m to 2.0 m along Firbridge Way; and

b)

reduce the number of required Class 2 bicycle parking spaces from 63 parking spaces to 50 parking spaces.

Applicant’s Comments

Wing Ting Leung, W.T. Leung Architects, Inc., provided an overview of the proposed development and highlighted the following:

·          

the development application refers to Phase 1 of a two-phased development which is bounded on the east by No. 3 Road, on the south by Firbridge Way, on the west by Minoru Boulevard, and on the north by Ackroyd Road;

·          

Phase 1 has two 16-storey high towers, with Tower A located on the corner of Ackroyd and No. 3 Road and Tower B on the corner of  Firbridge Way and the north-south lane extending between Firbridge Way and Ackroyd Road; two townhouse clusters are located along Firbridge Way and Ackroyd Road;

·          

the 16-storey Tower A matches the height of Acqua building to the north and steps down southward to 10-storeys, respecting the 7-storey London Plaza building across Firbridge Way;

·          

to the south of the development across Firbridge Way is the backside of London Drugs; to provide pedestrian interest and activity along the street, the main entrance to Tower B, the secondary entrance to Tower A, and the indoor amenity area under the townhouses are located along Firbridge Way; 

·          

the indoor amenity area which includes a gymnasium, a swimming pool and a private indoor amenity for dining and private functions provides for passive surveillance and ground plane activation along Firbridge Way; the indoor amenity area will also serve the residents of Phase 2 of the development;

·          

when Phase 2 is developed in the future, the Firbridge Way streetscape will provide visual interest to pedestrians moving between the community center and the university located in Phase 2 and the Lansdowne and Saba Skytrain stations across No. 3 Road; walking distance between these points is approximately seven minutes;

·          

along Ackroyd Road, the lower level of the townhouses are raised four and a half feet above grade; raised front patios are provided;  between the townhouses and Tower A lobby plaza is a landscaped water feature and a green wall which provide visual interest to pedestrians;

·          

the alignment of Tower A along No. 3 Road and the purchased surplus land resulting from the realignment of No. 3 Road provide for a very open public plaza and a potential site for public art;

·          

parking is located in the middle of the development and is wrapped around on the 3 sides by the residential and commercial components of the development; the roof of the parkade is extensively landscaped; and

·          

architectural treatment and façade articulation of the buildings are somewhat different but are tied together by common architectural features; coloured spandrel panels provide visual interest.

Brian Beresford, Durante Kreuk Landscape Architects, spoke about the landscaping of the project and provided the following details:

·          

there is an extended plaza area along No. 3 Road and the intention is to create as much green space as possible without interrupting the pedestrian movement in the retail space;

·          

located on the plaza are planted areas with metal benches, bicycle racks, and double rows of trees along the street front;

·          

the water feature along Ackroyd Road and the use of special materials such as stone paving and metal bridges create a sense of entry and place of interest;

·          

the podium level is important in terms of landscaping; it serves as a passage way for residents and provides visual interest to residents of upper floors;

·          

water is an important landscaping feature in  Phases 1 and 2 of the development; there is a pond in the middle of the courtyard and a waterfall flowing down to the lower levels;

·          

there is a series of walkways on the courtyard and a walking loop which connects Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the development;

·          

the courtyard introduces small bridges, timber piers, concrete seatwalls, open grass areas and a children’s play area; and

·          

the play area is intended for younger children while the open lawn area and the stone slabs cater to older children.

Staff Comments

Mr. Jackson advised that staff supports the Development Permit application and the variances and stated the following:

·          

the proposed high-density development is one of the first new developments to come out in the middle of the City Centre Area; the development responds to the guidelines set out in the City Centre Area Plan;

·          

Planning staff facilitated a meeting between the owners of Acqua and Capri Buildings and the developer and architect of the proposed development in February 2009 in response to comments made during the Public Hearing on October 20, 2008;

·          

in the said meeting, Acqua Building residents asked that the towers in the proposed development be narrowed and placed in different locations, which were responded to by the applicant by modifying the layout of the units on the west side of Tower A and reducing its east-west width but said responses were considered inadequate by Acqua Building residents;

·          

the proposed development meets the City Centre Area Plan guidelines with regard to tower placements, particularly the (i) separation of the towers between the proposed development and adjacent developments; and (ii) separation of the towers within the proposed development;

·          

the Capri Building, located further south of the proposed development, will not be directly affected by Phase 1 of the development but would probably be affected in the future by Phase 2; and

·          

it is notable that the applicant has enlivened the streetscape on three sides of the development – along No. 3 Road, Ackroyd Road and Firbridge Way; servicing is located off of the north-south lane; the double volume retail space on the No. 3 Road side is suitable for a main street.

Mr. Jackson pointed out that staff supports the requested variance of 2-meter Public Road setback instead of the minimum requirement of 3 meters along Firbridge Way because it still allows for significant landscaping on the street. He added that staff is supportive as well with regard to the requested reduction of the number of required Class 2 bicycle parking spaces from 63 parking spaces to 50 parking spaces as the applicant will be providing bicycle parking spaces in groups of 10 in 5 different locations on site.

Panel Discussion

In response to queries from the Panel, Mr. Leung provided the following information:

·          

bicycle parking spaces are provided by five bicycle racks for 10 parking units on Firbridge Way, Ackroyd Road and No. 3 Road;

·          

the proposed extension of Ackroyd Road will pass through Phases 1 and 2 of the development and extends all the way through Minoru Boulevard;

·          

glazed coloured spandrels above the amenity space allow passive surveillance and at the same time provide privacy for people inside the amenity space;

·          

there is one residential garbage compactor room and one residential recycling room for each tower; there is also a residential recycling container holding room for Tower A close to the lane; the commercial garbage compactor and recycling room for Tower B are provided at a location abutting the lane;

·          

the double volume retail spaces fronting No. 3 Road has a floor-to-ceiling height of 17.3 feet and can accommodate various types of merchandising operations;

·          

development of Phase 1 is intended to start before the end of this year; development of Phase 2 next year and is expected to be completed by 2013;

·          

Class 1 bicycle parking spaces are located inside the buildings while Class 2 bicycle parking spaces are located outside; future demand for bicycle parking spaces in the development is expected to increase because of the location of the community centre and the university in Phase 2 of the project; and

·          

the request for the reduction of Class 2 bicycle parking spaces has been made in order to maximize the space for the public plaza and for public art.

In response to queries from the Panel, Mr. Jackson advised that (i) the towers are in the same location as they were in the rezoning stage; (ii) the towers have been pulled back and moved in an effort to balance the competing demands and interests for this particular site; (iii) the City’s minimum requirement for separation of buildings is 24 meters; and (iv) the actual separation between Tower A of the proposed development and Acqua Building is 31.7 meters, which exceeds the City’s requirement by 7 meters.

Correspondence

Letter from Mehran Khosravinejad, 5811 No. 3 Road (Schedule 1)

Gallery Comments

Ladislav Dolejsi, 7831 Westminster Highway, representing Strata BCS 251 (Capri Building), spoke in opposition to the proposed development and expressed his concerns regarding (i) the inadequate responses to address the concerns of Capri Building residents since the start of the rezoning process such as obstruction of views to the north; (ii) additional traffic that will be generated by the proposed development in an already high traffic and congested area; (iii) the increased use of the right-of-way (ROW) through the Capri building parkade; (iv) lack of parking spaces in the area; and (v) the insufficient guarantee that Phase 2 of the proposed development will actually proceed.

The Chair advised that decisions on rezoning applications are guided by the Official Community Plan and advised Mr. Dolejsi to coordinate with Mr. Jackson regarding (i) the community participation in the rezoning and development application process; (ii) the bicycle parking spaces that were supposed to be installed in Capri Building; and (iii) issues that could be addressed by the Transportation Division.

Peter Hammond, 7831Westmister Highway, spoke in opposition to the proposal, stating that:

(i)

he shares the concerns raised by Mr. Dolejsi regarding the proposed project;

(ii)

the concerns expressed by residents of the only two towers in the area which are affected by the proposed development should have been given more consideration;

(iii)

Capri Building will be affected by Phase 1 as it is tied up with the plan of Phase 2 of the proposed development which is already in place;

(iv)

Phase 2 will block the view of Capri Building to the north;

(v)

Firbridge Way is a busy commercial lane and becomes congested during rush hours; the proposed development will worsen the traffic situation in this busy street which will be detrimental to the residents of both existing and future developments; and

(vi)

the rationale for the granting of density bonus to Phase 1 for locating a community centre in Phase 2 is difficult to comprehend as the needs of residents in the area are already being served by the nearby Minoru Community Centre.

Mehran Khosravinejad, 5811 No. 3 Road, representing Strata Council BCS 2252 (Acqua Building), expressed the concerns of Acqua Building residents regarding the proposed development and suggested that (i) the gap between Tower A and the townhouses along Ackroyd Road be increased to provide better views for the lower floors of Acqua Building; and (ii) additional planting and hedging be done in the gap between Tower A and the townhouses on the 5^th floor courtyard to preserve the privacy of the residents of the lower three floors of Acqua Building.

Ms. Khosravinejad also pointed out the problems caused by the recent pre-construction activities in the proposed development, in particular the (i) dirt and dust getting into the ventilation system of Acqua which affects the respiratory health of residents and alters the maintenance and cleaning schedules of the building and its facilities; (ii) increased noise level; and (iii) possible damage that might be done to the foundation of Acqua building and townhouses.

In response to a query, Mr. Jackson advised that as part of the development application process, the applicant is required to submit a construction management technique report that will be reviewed by staff before a building permit is granted.

The Chair remarked that damage to properties caused by construction activities is a civil matter; however, he advised that (i) staff can help Acqua residents get in touch with the geotechnical engineer of the project; and (ii) Acqua residents should consider keeping a record of any damage caused by pre-construction activities in the proposed development.

In response to the comments of Ms. Khosravinejad, Mr. Jackson explained that (i) eliminating some of the townhouse units along Ackroyd Road will reveal a blank parkade wall which will not result in better views for Acqua residents; and (iii) the courtyard at the 5^th level is already adequately planted with mature trees in addition to the hedging materials that are proposed.

Panel Discussion

The Chair expressed his support for the proposed development and remarked that the Panel is tasked to review the project’s form and character and that from this perspective he finds that (i) the project is well-designed and much attention has been given to address concerns on privacy, tower separation and landscaping; (ii) it has undergone some refinements to accommodate as much as possible the concerns of neighbouring developments given the constraints; and (iii) it complies with the City Centre Area Plan guidelines and even exceeds the minimum requirement for the separation of towers.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would:

1.

Permit the construction of two (2) 16-storey high-rise buildings with ground floor commercial retail space and townhouses with a total area of approximately 27,362 m2 as Phase I of a comprehensive Mixed-Use Residential, Institutional & Community Use development at 5891, 5931 No. 3 Road, 5900 Minoru Boulevard and a surplus portion of No. 3 Road on a site zoned “Downtown Commercial and Community Centre/University (ZMU15) – Lansdowne Village (City Centre)”; and

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to:

a)

reduce the minimum Public Road setback from 3.0 m to 2.0 m along Firbridge Way; and

b)

reduce the number of required Class 2 bicycle parking spaces from 63 parking spaces to 50 parking spaces.

CARRIED

6.

New Business

None.

7.

Date Of Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 11, 2010

8.

Adjournment

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting be adjourned at 6:05 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, July 28, 2010.

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Joe Erceg

Chair

Rustico Agawin

Committee Clerk