May 30, 2018 - Minutes

Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

John Irving, Chair 
Victor Wei, Director, Transportation 
Peter Russell, Senior Manager, Sustainability and District Energy

Minutes

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on May  16, 2018 be adopted.

CARRIED

1.

Development Permit 17-772227  
(REDMS No. 5727636)

APPLICANT:

Interface Architecture Inc.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

11671 and 11691 Cambie Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

1.

Permit the construction of a 20 townhouse unit complex with driveway access from Cambie Road at 11671 and 11691 Cambie Road on a site zoned “Low Density Townhouses (RTL4)”; and

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to:

(a)

reduce the minimum lot width on a major arterial road from 50.0 m to 43.3 m; and

(b)

reduce the front yard setback to Cambie Road and rear yard setback to Mellis Drive from 6.0 m to 4.5 m.

Applicant’s Comments

Ken Chow, Interface Architecture, provided background information on the proposed development and highlighted the following:

§   

the proposed townhouse site has a double frontage on Cambie Road and Mellis Drive;

§   

there is an existing 3-meter wide sanitary right-of-way (ROW) along the west property line and an  existing 6-meter wide east-west sanitary (ROW) which bisects the site;

§   

a 3.5-meter wide public walkway is proposed in the east side of the subject development connecting Cambie Road and Mellis Drive;

§   

vehicle access was originally proposed at Mellis Drive but was relocated to Cambie Road due to neighbours’ concern regarding potential increase in traffic and on-street parking along Mellis Drive;

§   

permeable pavers are proposed throughout the internal drive aisle and no direct vehicular access to Mellis Drive through the internal drive aisle is permitted; 

§   

the two-storey end units fronting onto Mellis Drive provide an appropriate interface with the existing single-family homes to the west and across Mellis Drive;

§   

the north-south orientation of the townhouse buildings allow sunlight penetration into the proposed development;

§   

a cross access easement is proposed allowing access to/from the adjacent future development sites through the subject site;

§   

a Level 2 electric vehicle charging is proposed in each townhouse unit’s garage;

§   

acoustic sound insulation measures are proposed to mitigate aircraft noise; and

§   

two convertible units are proposed for the project.

Meredith Mitchell, M2 Landscape Architecture, briefed the Panel on the main landscaping features of the project, noting that (i) a public art feature is being considered to be installed at the Cambie Road entrance to the public walkway due to its significant volume of pedestrian traffic, (ii) appropriate landscaping is proposed to address the grade changes from Cambie Road to Mellis Drive, (iii) neighbouring off-site trees will be retained and protected, (iv) a landscaped area including a feature tree is proposed at the north end of the drive aisle, (v) trees in movable planters and movable play structures are proposed in the outdoor amenity area which is located along the east-west sanitary ROW, (vi) permeable pavers are proposed at unit entries, and (vii) a slightly raised area is proposed on the north-south internal drive aisle adjacent to the outdoor amenity area for traffic calming.

In addition to his presentation, Mr. Chow noted that overlook and privacy concerns for the neighbouring homes have been properly addressed through (i) reducing the height of units adjacent to single-family homes from three to two storeys, (ii) incorporating solid fencing along the east and west property lines, and introducing visual screening through landscaping.

In response to queries from the Panel, the design team noted that (i) the provision of green space at the south end of the site was not a factor in the proposal for a reduction of rear yard setback to Mellis Drive, (ii) the proposed equipment for heating and cooling system will be located as far as possible from adjacent developments, and (iii) installing sod is proposed on lawn areas as it is more practical than seeding.

Staff Comments

Wayne Craig, Director, Development, advised that (i) the proposed variance to reduce the minimum lot width on a major arterial road is a technical variance, (ii) the proposed variance to reduce the front yard setback to Cambie Road and rear yard setback to Mellis Drive is a function of road dedication along Cambie Road as well as the provision of a public walkway along the eastern edge of the site,  (iii) the two proposed variances were identified at rezoning stage and no comments were received at the Public Hearing, (iv) there will be a Servicing Agreement for frontage works along both road frontages and the provision of site services and the public walkway, and (v) the project has been designed in accordance with the City’s Aircraft Noise policy and EnerGuide 82 requirement.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

Bryan and Isabel Alexander, 11880 Mellis Drive (Schedule 1)

In response to queries from the Panel regarding the concern of Mr. and Ms. Alexander on the proposed reduction of rear yard setback to Mellis Drive and the project’s interface with the immediately adjacent single-family home to the west, the design team noted that (i) the reduced 4.5 meter rear yard setback to Mellis Drive is staggered and not uniform, (ii) the end units fronting Mellis Drive are designed to have a single-family scale, (iii) trees are not allowed to be planted within the 3-meter wide ROW along the west property line; however, a six-foot high wooden fence and hedging is proposed along the west property line, and (iv) the applicant will consider increasing the height of the hedging along the west property line to improve the project’s interface with the adjacent single-family home to the west.

Panel Discussion

The Panel expressed support for the project, noting that (i) the applicant has provided public amenities especially the proposed public walkway which will enhance the accessibility of public transit for the neighbourhood, and (ii) the applicant should consult with the owner of the adjacent single-family home to the west for possible landscaping enhancement, e.g. increasing the height of hedging, to improve the project’s interface with the adjacent single-family home.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would:

1.

permit the construction of a 20 townhouse unit complex with driveway access from Cambie Road at 11671 and 11691 Cambie Road on a site zoned “Low Density Townhouses (RTL4)”; and

2.

vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to:

(a)

reduce the minimum lot width on a major arterial road from 50.0 m to 43.3 m; and

(b)

reduce the front yard setback to Cambie Road and rear yard setback to Mellis Drive from 6.0 m to 4.5 m.

CARRIED

2.

Development Variance 18-805801  
(REDMS No. 5731367)

APPLICANT:

Darlene Dueckman, Mark Dueckman, John Goossen, Clayton Zwicker and Rita Gooding

PROPERTY LOCATION:

12431 McNeely Drive

INTENT OF PERMIT:

To issue a Development Variance Permit which would vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to reduce the minimum front yard setback from 6.0 m to 1.8 m in order to permit the property to be subdivided to create five single-family lots, while retaining the existing dwelling on a property zoned “Single Detached (RS2/B)”.

Applicant’s Comments

Darlene Dueckman, 12431 McNeely Drive, spoke on the rationale for the proposed variance to reduce the minimum front yard setback in relation to the subdivision of the subject property into five single-family lots and read from her submission (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 2).

In response to a query from the Panel, Ms. Dueckman acknowledged that (i) the proposed variance will allow her family to retain the existing family home, and  (ii) her family will be keeping a few of the subdivided lots for future development.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Discussion

The Panel expressed support for the proposed variance, the subdivision of the subject property, and the preservation of the applicant’s family home.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Variance Permit be issued which would vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to reduce the minimum front yard setback from 6.0 m to 1.8 m in order to permit the property to be subdivided to create five single-family lots, while retaining the existing dwelling on a property zoned “Single Detached (RS2/B)”.

CARRIED

3.

Date of Next Meeting:  June 13, 2018

4.

Adjournment

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting be adjourned at 4:00 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, May 30, 2018.

_______________________________

_____________________________

John Irving
Chair

Rustico Agawin 
Committee Clerk