October 11, 2017 - Minutes

Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Joe Erceg, Chair
Cathryn Volkering Carlile, General Manager, Community Services
Robert Gonzalez, General Manager, Engineering and Public Works

Minutes

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on September  27, 2017, be adopted.

CARRIED

1.

Development Permit 16-735007 
(REDMS No. 5493885)

APPLICANT:

Alex Sartori

PROPERTY LOCATION:

6020 No. 4 Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

1.

Permit the construction of a Single-Family Residential Dwelling at 6020 No. 4 Road on a site zoned “Agriculture (AG1)” and designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA); and

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to increase the maximum area of the farm home plate from 1,000 m² to 1,342 m².

Panel Discussion

The Chair noted that the applicant had written to staff to request that the project design team be given more time to work on the revision of their plans in order to eliminate or reduce the proposed variance to the City’s maximum farm home plate area in relation to the referral motion adopted at the September 27, 2017 meeting of the Panel.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That DP 16-735700 be referred back to staff to provide the project design team more time to work with staff for the purpose of investigating opportunities for further changes to the design of the proposed development to eliminate or reduce the proposed variance to the City’s maximum farm home plate area and staff to report back at a future meeting of the Panel.

CARRIED

2.

Development Permit 16-741741
(REDMS No. 5528835)

APPLICANT:

Vancouver Airport Fuel Facilities Corporation (VAFFC)

PROPERTY LOCATION:

15040 Williams Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

Permit the construction of a Marine Terminal Facility for aviation/jet fuel delivery at 15040 Williams Road on a site zoned “Industrial (I)” and partially designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA).

Applicant’s Comments

Adrian Pollard, FSM Management Group, provided background information on the proposed development and highlighted the following:

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the overall Vancouver Airport Fuel Delivery project started in 2007 and  is intended to provide airlines operating at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) with secure aviation fuel supply and accommodate and support the future growth of YVR;

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environmental assessment approvals have been granted to the project from the provincial and federal governments;

§   

construction permits have been granted for the construction of two of the three main components of the overall project: the fuel receiving facility to the north of the subject site and the underground pipeline to YVR;

§   

the other main component of the overall project is the subject development, the  proposed Marine Terminal facility, which will accommodate one vessel arriving once a week or approximately three to four vessels arriving in a month;

§   

transfer of  aviation fuel from the vessel directly to the underground pipeline to the fuel receiving facility takes approximately 18 to 36 hours;

§   

six small buildings or enclosures will be constructed to support the activities of the Marine Terminal;

§   

the existing dock will be completely removed and replaced with a new and re-graded foreshore area;

§   

new berthing and mooring structures will be constructed for the Marine Terminal;

§   

a pedestrian trail and a new relocated dike and an associated right-of-way will be constructed on-site;

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the Marine Terminal facility will be staffed 24 hours a day and will have up to 10 employees; and

§   

other site improvements will be done to stabilize the area and protect the dike and structures that support the offloading activity.

Angus Johnston, Hatfield Consultants, reviewed the proposed mitigation, compensation and enhancement scheme for the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) on the subject site, noting that (i) qualified environmental professionals’ assessment indicated that the subject site’s intertidal ESA is a low productivity habitat and the shoreline ESA is mostly barren with scattered invasive plants and shrubs, (ii) removal of the existing bulkhead wharf, re-grading and replacement of the existing rip-rap, and other improvements on the riverbed and banks will enhance the intertidal ESA, and (iii) removal of a patch of native tree saplings in the shoreline ESA will be compensated by on-site and off-site habitat enhancements.

Mr. Johnston further noted that (i) both the on-site Riparian Management Area (RMA) and the “inferred” RMA along the Savage Road right-of-way adjacent to the subject site have been assessed by qualified environmental professionals to be in a highly disturbed state and have limited habitat features, and (ii) proposed compensation and enhancements for the RMA include establishing a new fence, re-grading the RMA, and re-vegetation of the new five-meter wide RMA with native planting.

Panel Discussion

In response to queries from the Panel, Mr. Pollard advised that (i) pumps for offloading the fuel cargo will be installed on board the vessel, (ii) fire truck access will be provided (iii) the site will be secured and must comply with Transport Canada security requirements, and (iv) dismantled on-site structures will be disposed in appropriate landfills.

In response to further queries from the Panel, Mr. Pollard stated that the entire RMAs along Williams Road and Savage Road will be completely replanted and significant landscaping will be installed on either side of the proposed pedestrian trail and on the adjacent slope.

In response to further queries from the Panel, Linda Dupuis, Hatfield Consultants, acknowledged that (i) site constraints determined the off-site location of a portion of RMA and ESA compensation/enhancement areas, (ii) the proposed pedestrian trail does not relate to the ESA but provides extra ecological networking in the subject site, (iii) the enhancements include removing the existing lock block fencing and fully restoring the 5-meter wide RMA, (iv) proposed ESA compensation/enhancement will be provided both on-site and off-site and will focus on high productivity areas identified by the Fraser River Estuary Management Program (FREMP).

Discussion ensued between the Panel and the project’s design team regarding the proposed compensation/enhancement for the ESA and RMA and the Chair was of the opinion that the proposed compensation/enhancement scheme for the RMA appears to be more rigorous than for the shoreline ESA.

In response to further queries from the Panel, the design team acknowledged that (i) enhancement planting is not proposed in the intertidal ESA as the proposed modifications to the foreshore/intertidal area will in themselves improve habitat conditions at the subject site compared to existing conditions, (ii) intertidal areas are naturally productive and it is anticipated that the intertidal habitat conditions could establish naturally over a period of approximately one year, (iii) the proposed viewing platform is consistent with the master trail strategy in the City’s Official Community Plan (OCP), and (iv) provision of signage interpreting on-site improvements  could be incorporated into the project.

Staff Comments

Wayne Craig, Director, Development, noted that the proposed dike and public trail construction will be secured with separate registered right-of-way agreements.

Mr. Craig further noted that there will be multiple servicing agreements associated with the project including servicing agreements for (i) dike construction within the dike right-of-way, (ii) public trail construction within the trail right-of-way which includes connection to the trail on the City property to the west of the subject site, and (iii) site services and frontage improvements along Williams Road.

In addition, Mr. Craig mentioned that there will be cash-in-lieu contribution for the proposed pedestrian viewing platform.

In closing, Mr. Craig noted that ESA planting areas associated with the project will be subject to legal agreements to ensure that these areas will be retained and maintained in the long term.

In response to queries from the Panel related to the applicant’s proposed ESA compensation and enhancements for the subject site, Mr. Craig acknowledged that (i) there is an opportunity for more mature planting in the ESA within the subject site, and (ii) while the ESA Guidelines in the City’s OCP focus on ESA assessment of existing conditions and enhancement, they also include provisions encouraging additional planting to enhance the rehabilitation of degraded areas.

Gallery Comments

Anne Lerner, 12633 No. 2 Road, expressed concern regarding the potential adverse environmental impacts of the project to the Fraser River and queried whether dredging works would be done in the river to allow the passage of large vessels heading to the Marine Terminal. She also spoke of the potential negative impacts of increased traffic of vessels in the river on salmon run.

In response to Ms. Lerner’s concern, Mr. Pollard advised that (i) dredging works in the river will not be necessary as vessels heading to the Marine Terminal could navigate the river under existing conditions, (ii) a minimal increase of six  percent in large vessel traffic is anticipated in the South Arm Fraser River when the Marine Terminal becomes operational, and (iii) management plans include coordination with First Nations regarding the timing of vessels navigating the river in order not to disrupt their fishing activities.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Discussion

The Chair noted that the proposed RMA and ESA mitigation, compensation and enhancement scheme is a good start; however, he was of the opinion that more work could be done by the applicant and suggested that the subject development application be referred back to staff.

The Chair further noted that the applicant needs to (i) review the proposed ESA compensation and enhancement scheme that is based primarily on existing shoreline ESA condition in the subject site and consider a greater area of planting, (ii) review the proposed compensation and enhancement planting scheme for the shoreline ESA and consider installing more mature and substantive planting, (iii) consider introducing some planting on the  intertidal ESA in addition to the proposed removal of existing and development/construction of new structures and shorelines within the shoreline and intertidal ESAs; (iv) consider ESA compensation and enhancements in areas within the subject site such as along the public trail and in the northern portion of the site in addition to proposed off-site ESA enhancements, and (v) consider installing on-site interpretation signage to inform the public regarding the works and enhancements done on the subject site to protect and preserve the natural environment in the area.

In addition, staff were directed to review the amount of proposed cash-in-lieu voluntary contribution for the design and future construction of a pedestrian viewing platform to determine whether the amount is adequate for the purpose. 

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

1.

That DP-16-741741 be referred back to staff for the applicant to work with staff to:

(a)

review the proposed mitigation, compensation and enhancement scheme for shoreline ESA based primarily on existing ESA condition in the subject site and investigate opportunities for additional on-site ESA planting;

(b)

review the proposed compensation/enhancement planting scheme for the shoreline ESA and consider introducing more mature and substantive planting;

(c)

consider introducing some planting in the intertidal ESA in addition to the proposed removal of existing and development/construction of new structures and shoreline within the shoreline and intertidal ESA;

(d)

investigate opportunities for further on-site ESA compensation and enhancements especially within the shoreline ESA and other areas along the proposed public trail and in the northern portion of the site in addition to the proposed off-site ESA enhancements; and

(e)

consider installing on-site signage to inform and provide interpretation to the public regarding the works and enhancements done on the subject site to protect and preserve the natural environment; and

2.

That staff review the adequacy of the pedestrian viewing platform cash-in-lieu contribution and report back.

CARRIED

3.

Date of Next Meeting:  October 25, 2017

4.

Adjournment

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting be adjourned at 4:35 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, October 11, 2017.

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Joe Erceg
Chair

Rustico Agawin
Auxiliary Committee Clerk