July 25, 2018 - Minutes

Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Cecilia Achiam, Chair
Robert Gonzalez, General Manager, Engineering and Public Works
John Irving, Director, Engineering

Minutes

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on July 11, 2018 be adopted.

CARRIED

1.

APPLICANT:

Omicron Architectural Engineering Construction Ltd.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

15111 Williams Road and Richmond Key 195105

INTENT OF PERMIT:

Consider the attached plans to the staff report titled “Application by Omicron Architectural Engineering Construction Ltd. for a General Compliance Ruling at 15111 Williams Road and Richmond Key 19510,” dated June 28, 2018, from the Director, Development, involving changes to the development design, in General Compliance with Development Permit DP 11-566011.

Applicant’s Comments

Alisa Bailey, Omicron Canada Inc., accompanied by Angus Beattie, Omicron Canada Inc., briefed the Panel on the proposed changes to the previously approved development design of the Richmond Industrial Development at 15111 Williams Road and Key 195105 and highlighted the following

§   

a development permit was previously issued to the project which was endorsed by the Panel on July 13, 2016 and subsequently approved by Council on January 23, 2017;

§   

at the schematic design phase of the project, the applicant decided to realign and straighten Pierson Road to improve the efficiency of the use of the land base, enhance the functionality of buildings adjacent to Pierson Road, and provide extra parking space;

§   

the straightening of Pierson Road will increase the site’s total floorspace by 8,000 square feet, improve the usability of the building footprints, increase the size of truck yards for two buildings and allow more flexibility for circulation and trailer storage;

§   

the proposed realignment of Pierson Road will slightly encroach into the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA)/Riparian Management Area (RMA) compensation area and will necessitate its redesign; and

§   

the revised plan for the ESA/RMA compensation area includes additional planting of trees and shrubs and adjustment of tree and plant species selection list to suit the modified terrain;

§   

the modified ESA/RMA compensation area will result in an overall increase in habitat balance.

Staff Comments

Wayne Craig, Director, Development, advised that (i) there is no issue in the redesign and realignment of Pierson Road from a traffic operations perspective, (ii) the encroachment into the ESA/RMA is offset by increased habitat compensation, and (iii) the applicant’s response to the development design changes is appropriate.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Discussion

In reply to queries from the Panel, Ms. Bailey acknowledged that (i) the slope of the modified ESA/RMA compensation area will be steeper, (ii) proposed planting list was updated and is suitable to the new ESA/RMA configuration, (iii) preliminary studies have been conducted for the wetland and monitoring is currently being done to prove that the wetland will work in the ESA/RMA compensation area, and (iv) the modified ESA/RMA compensation area is not negatively impacted by the existing landfill on the subject site.

In reply to queries from the Panel, David Brownlee, Planner 2, noted that legal agreements and a bond requirement will ensure that the ESA/RMA compensation area will be constructed. Mr. Brownlee further noted that monitoring by a Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) of the works done in the ESA/RMA compensation area will be required.

In reply to a query from the Panel, Ms. Bailey reviewed the works to be done to redesign the ESA/RMA compensation area and confirmed that modification of the previously proposed  ESA/RMA compensation area will increase the habitat balance.

In reply to a query from the Panel, Mr. Craig advised that (i) an eastward extension of Francis Road in not currently contemplated for the Francis Road Right-of-Way (ROW) adjacent to the ESA/RMA compensation area, (ii) the Francis Road ROW will remain in place and there is no landscaping previously and currently proposed by the applicant on the ROW, and (iii) staff could work with the applicant to come up with a landscape plan for the Francis Road ROW to provide a better interface with the proposed ESA/RMA compensation area.

As a result of the discussion, direction was given to staff to work with the applicant to provide landscaping treatment to the Francis Road ROW to improve its interface with the proposed ESA/RMA compensation area.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That the attached plans to the staff report titled “Application by Omicron Architectural Engineering Construction Ltd. for a General Compliance Ruling at 15111 Williams Road and Richmond Key 19510,” dated June 28, 2018, from the Director, Development, involving changes to the development design be considered in General Compliance with Development Permit DP 11-566011.

CARRIED

2.

New Business  

It was moved and seconded

That the Development Permit Panel meeting scheduled on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 be cancelled.

CARRIED

3.

Date of Next Meeting:  August 29, 2018

4.

Adjournment

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting be adjourned at 3:44 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 25, 2018.

_______________________________

_____________________________

Cecilia Achiam
Chair

Rustico Agawin 
Committee Clerk