November 14, 2018 - Minutes

Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Jane Fernyhough, Chair 
Jim Young, Senior Manager, Capital Buildings Project Development 
Laurie Bachynski, Director, Administration and Compliance

Minutes

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on October 24, 2018 be adopted.

CARRIED

1.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 17-785944   
(REDMS No. 5720223)

APPLICANT:

Zhao XD Architect Ltd.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

9880 Granville Avenue and 7031 No. 4 Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

To permit the construction of seven three-storey townhouse units at 9880 Granville Avenue and 7031 No. 4 Road on a site zoned “Medium Density Townhouses (RTM2)”.

Applicant’s Comments

Xuedong Zhao, Zhao XD Architect Ltd., provided background information on the proposed development, noting that (i) the development consists of seven townhouse units, and (ii) vehicle access to the site from Granville Avenue is provided by the adjacent townhouse development to the west through a Statutory Right of Way (SRW) registered on Title of the adjacent property.

In addition, Mr. Zhao reviewed the building’s architectural design, proposed exterior building materials, and landscape buffer to the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) to the east of the site and noted that the subject development meets the City’s Official Community Plan (OCP) guidelines.

Denitsa Dimitrova, PMG Landscape Architects, briefed the Panel on the main landscaping features of the project, noting that (i) each unit will be provided with a private yard with landscaping, shade tree, lawn area and patio, (ii) low aluminum fencing will be installed along the street frontages, (iii) a trellis feature is proposed at the entry to the pedestrian walkway on No. 4 Road, and (iv) a six-foot wood fence along the south property line will be installed to provide privacy.

In addition, Ms. Dimitrova reviewed (i) the proposed landscaping between townhouse units, (ii) the programming of the outdoor amenity area, (iii) the surface paving treatment for the internal drive aisle and visitor parking stalls, and (iv) the proposed planting for the ALR buffer along the site’s No. 4 Road frontage.

Staff Comments

Wayne Craig, Director, Development, advised that (i) there is a Servicing Agreement associated with the project for frontage works along both street frontages as well as site service connections, (ii) the Servicing Agreement is a condition of building permit issuance, (iii) landscaping along No. 4 Road forms part of the buffer to the ALR on the east side of No. 4 Road, (iv) the ALR buffer planting plan was reviewed and endorsed by City’s Agricultural Advisory Committee, (v) vehicle access to the subject site is through the adjacent townhouse development to the west currently under construction, (vi) shared garbage and recycling facility is located on the adjacent site to the west, (vii) the building has been designed to achieve the City’s EnerGuide 82 standard for energy efficiency, and (viii) two convertible units are included in the project.

Panel Discussion

In reply to queries from the Panel, Mr. Zhao acknowledged that (i) proposed outdoor amenity area is not gated, (ii) the shared garbage and recycling facility at the adjacent development to the west which is currently under construction was designed to accommodate the needs of the subject development, (iii) electric vehicle charging is provided in townhouse units, and (iv) the two convertible units have been designed to meet the City’s standard.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Discussion

The Panel expressed support for the project, noting that it complements the existing townhouse development to the west and that the proposed landscaping provides year-round visual interest.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would permit the construction of seven three-storey townhouse units at 9880 Granville Avenue and 7031 No. 4 Road on a site zoned “Medium Density Townhouses (RTM2)”.

CARRIED

2.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 18-815966   
(REDMS No. 5977699)

APPLICANT:

I-Fly Vancouver

PROPERTY LOCATION:

9151 Van Horne Way

INTENT OF PERMIT:

To permit the construction of an indoor recreational skydiving facility at 9151 Van Horne Way with a maximum building height of 24.0 m (78.8 ft.) on a site zoned “Light Industrial (IL)”.

Applicant’s Comments

Bill Adams, Adams 1^st Consultants, introduced the project with the aid of a video presentation showing how the proposed indoor recreational skydiving facility works.

David Fey, Jensen Fey Architects, with the aid of another video presentation (copy on file, City Clerk’s Office) briefed the Panel on the architectural form and character of the proposed facility and highlighted the following:

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the proposed building can be viewed from multiple directions and the building design is intended to make the four sides of the building visually interesting;

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the project will improve the pedestrian experience along Van Horne Way;

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the proposed siting of the building and setbacks provide a potential to further develop the site;

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building materials include a combination of painted concrete, metal-like exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) panels, and aluminum wood grain panel, among others;

§   

the proposed colour palette consists of warmer tones of gray, wood colours, and red; and

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the existing badminton centre and the adjacent surface parking lot to the west of the proposed I-Fly building will be improved.

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Oren Mizhari, Connect Landscape Architecture, briefed the Panel on the main landscaping features of the project, noting that (i) proposed landscaping along the perimeter of the site will provide screening to the parking lots, (ii) open pedestrian connections into the site are proposed, (iii) landscaping materials include drought-tolerant native plants, and (iv) low landscaping is proposed in the interior of the site, including limited areas in the parking lot.

Staff Comments

Mr. Craig noted that (i) there is a Servicing Agreement for frontage improvements along Van Horne Way which includes the introduction of a four-meter wide multi-use pathway and City utility upgrades, (ii) the street tree selection will be determined through the Servicing Agreement process, (iii) the project was reviewed and endorsed by the City’s Advisory Design Panel, and (iv) there will be two Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations incorporated into the parking lot.

In addition, Mr. Craig clarified that there is no variance required for the proposed building height as the Zoning Bylaw allows a 25-meter building height in the area subject to an approved development permit.

Panel Discussion

In reply to queries from the Panel, the design team acknowledged that (i) a canopy is proposed above the building entrance fronting Van Horne Way to define the entry, (ii) the proposed use of the building is not noise-sensitive and the proposed building height will not impact the flight path of aircrafts going to and coming from Vancouver International Airport, (iii) the mechanical yard is used for conditioning air in the flight chamber and the equipment is too large and head pressure too high to be accommodated inside the proposed building, (iv) the roof overhang is a large projected soffit which symbolizes the idea of flight and provides opportunities for downward lighting, and (iv) the proposed off-site multi-use pathway on Van Horne Way fronting the site will be a significant improvement in the area.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Discussion

The Panel expressed support for the project, noting that the building is well-designed for its proposed use and the proposed landscaping for the parking lot is visually interesting.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would permit the construction of an indoor recreational skydiving facility at 9151 Van Horne Way with a maximum building height of 24.0 m (78.8 ft.) on a site zoned “Light Industrial (IL)”.

CARRIED

3.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 18-820582   
(REDMS No. 5973337)

APPLICANT:

Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District

PROPERTY LOCATION:

1000 Ferguson Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

To permit the construction of temporary dewatering facilities on a site designated an Environmentally Sensitive Area.

Applicant’s Comments

Trevor Jones, AECOM, accompanied by Keith Bell, AECOM, and Keith Ross, Urban Solutions, provided background information on the project and highlighted the following:

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Metro Vancouver is initiating an upgrade of the existing Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (IIWWTP) from primary to secondary level treatment plant by 2030;

§   

the site’s existing sludge lagoons and stockpiles will be decommissioned in preparation for the plant’s upgrade and temporary mechanical dewatering facilities will be constructed adjacent to the existing plant;

§   

the applicant has applied for an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Development Permit to allow the construction of the temporary dewatering facilities as the subject site is designated by the City as an ESA;

§   

the applicant is proposing an ESA compensation and landscape restoration plan to offset the ESA impacted by the project, which would result in an overall net gain in ESA function; 

§   

the project will be delivered through a design-build process where the selected building contractor finalizes the project design and receives the building and other necessary permits from the City; and

§   

the subject site is currently fenced and not accessible to the public.

In response to a query from the Panel, Mr. Jones confirmed that the design-build contract will be awarded in early 2019 and the project is expected to be functional by 2020.

Mr. Bell briefed the Panel on the existing on-site ESA conditions, noting that (i) the project site is not a freshwater wetland and consists mostly of gravel roads and a paved area, and (ii) the small vegetated portion of the site is dominated by invasive and non-native plant species.

Mr. Ross reviewed the ESA compensation plan for the project, noting that (i) ESA compensation planting will be done off-site, on an area within Iona Island Park on Canfor Point which is owned by Metro Vancouver, (ii) invasive species will be removed and native plant species will be planted in the off-site ESA compensation area, (iii) on-site landscape restoration will be done in distinct areas,  (iv) the proposed ESA enhancements will be monitored by a Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) for a period of five years,

In closing, Mr. Jones noted that (i) the subject application is part of a bigger project by Metro Vancouver, (ii) the proposed mechanical dewatering facilities are intended to be temporary and will be decommissioned and salvaged when the new secondary treatment facility is completed, and (iii) the project’s landscape design team had previously done a similar ESA enhancement and landscaping approach at the Iona Regional Park area.

Staff Comments

Mr. Craig noted that (i) staff are satisfied that the proposed ESA compensation and landscape restoration will result in a net gain of the ecological function of the area, and (ii) the approach will support the City’s ecological network objective.

Panel Discussion

In reply to queries from the Panel, Mr. Jones acknowledged that (i) the project area has been previously disturbed and the vegetated portion consists mostly of invasive species, (ii) no new fencing will be installed as part of the project, and (iii) the applicant worked with City staff in developing the ESA compensation and landscape restoration plan for the project.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Discussion

The Panel expressed support for the subject application, noting that (i) the proposed ESA compensation scheme will more than offset the extent of ESA that will be impacted by the project, (ii) the proposed landscaping will improve the site, and (iii) the applicant had previously done a successful on-site landscape restoration and the ESA rehabilitation plan will further benefit the area.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued at 1000 Ferguson Road in order to allow construction of temporary dewatering facilities on a site designated an Environmentally Sensitive Area.

CARRIED

4.

Date of Next Meeting:  November 28, 2018

5.

Adjournment

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting be adjourned at 4:25 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, November 14, 2018.

_______________________________

_____________________________

Jane Fernyhough 
Chair

Rustico Agawin 
Committee Clerk