April 29, 2020 - Minutes

Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Joe Erceg, Chair 
Cecilia Achiam, General Manager, Community Safety 
Milton Chan, Director, Engineering

Minutes

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on March 11, 2020 be adopted.

CARRIED

1.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 19-876699 
(REDMS No. 6415132 v. 3)

APPLICANT:

Oval 8 Holdings Ltd.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

6899 Pearson Way

INTENT OF PERMIT:

1.

Permit the construction of a child care facility at 6899 Pearson Way on a site zoned “High Rise Apartment and Olympic Oval (ZMU4) – Oval Village (City Centre)”; and

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to:

(a)

decrease the minimum rear (northeast) setback from 3 m to 0.4 m;

(b)

decrease the minimum side (northwest) setback abutting 6811 Pearson Way from 3 m to 0.4 m;

(c)

increase the maximum lot coverage for buildings from 45% to 55%;

(d)

remove the requirement for an on-site loading bay; and

(e)

increase the maximum height of a fence from 2.4 m to 3.9 m.

Applicant’s Comments

Brian Wakelin, Public Architecture and Communication, with the aid of a visual presentation (copy on file, City Clerk’s Office), provided background information on the proposed development, highlighting the following:

§   

the proposed child care facility is part of several amenities provided in the overall “River Green” development; 

§   

the design of the one-storey building and proposed landscaping reflects the area’s historical built form and landscape and considers its site context, including the adjacent Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) to the east of the subject site;

§   

the proposed child care facility is intended for two distinct children’s age groups and informs the programming of the indoor and outdoor spaces of the facility; 

§   

the railroad heritage of the area is expressed in the proposed landscaping along the River Road frontage including, among others, the provision of pedestrian amenities commemorating the railroad;

§   

the children’s play area in the courtyard will receive adequate sun exposure;

§   

children’s drop-off areas are located at the front of the building’s main entrance on the west side and in the underground parkade which is accessed on the north side;

§   

an elevator will provide accessibility from the Pearson Way sidewalk and the underground parkade to the main floor of the building;

§   

there is connectivity between the subject site and the adjacent ESA and the boardwalk to the east and continuity of the street wall of the subject site and Lot 12 to the west;

§   

the children’s play area provides various play opportunities appropriate for the two children’s age groups; and

§   

the project aims to achieve a sustainability target of LEED Silver Equivalency certification.

In reply to a query from the Panel, Mr. Wakelin acknowledged that the proposed height variance of the proposed fence on the east side was requested to comply with child care facility regulations.

Staff Comments

Wayne Craig, Director, Development, noted that (i) there is a Servicing Agreement for frontage works associated with the project along Pearson Way, (ii) staff support the proposed variances which are the result of the site context, the project’s interface with the City-owned wooded lot to the northeast, the constrained site size, and the provision of an on-site loading bay on the access easement on the adjacent site to the north, (iii) the child care facility will be transferred by the developer to the City prior to the occupancy of the adjacent development to the north, (iv) the project will be connected to the Oval Village District Energy Utility (DEU), and (v) the project design has been reviewed by the City’s child care and facilities staff and Vancouver Coastal Health staff to confirm child care licencing requirements. 

In reply to a query from the Panel, Mr. Craig confirmed that the proposed variances are consistent with the master planning of the overall River Green development.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would:

1.

permit the construction of a child care facility at 6899 Pearson Way on a site zoned “High Rise Apartment and Olympic Oval (ZMU4) – Oval Village (City Centre)”; and

2.

vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to:

(a)

decrease the minimum rear (northeast) setback from 3 m to 0.4 m;

(b)

decrease the minimum side (northwest) setback abutting 6811 Pearson Way from 3 m to 0.4 m;

(c)

increase the maximum lot coverage for buildings from 45% to 55%;

(d)

remove the requirement for an on-site loading bay; and

(e)

increase the maximum height of a fence from 2.4 m to 3.9 m.

CARRIED

2.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 18-817925 
(REDMS No. 6405038)

APPLICANT:

Wensley Architecture Ltd.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

13020 Delf Place

INTENT OF PERMIT:

Permit the construction of a single-storey building with drive-through restaurant use at 13020 Delf Place on a site zoned “Industrial Business Park (IB1)”.

Applicant’s Comments

Gordon Wylie, representative of Great-West Life Realty Advisors, provided background information on the proposed development, noting that the primary purpose of the proposed drive-through restaurant building is to provide a needed amenity in the area.

Staff Comments

Mr. Craig noted that (i) the proposal  is consistent with the zoning application presented to Council, (ii) there is a Servicing Agreement associated with the project for frontage improvements along the two street frontages of the proposed development and for installation of a marked crosswalk along Jacombs Road at the intersection of Jacombs Road and Delf Place, (iii) a traffic impact assessment for the project was submitted by the applicant at rezoning stage, (iv) the acoustical report submitted by the applicant confirms that the project complies with the City’s Noise Regulation Bylaw, (v) there is a legal agreement to secure the participation of the proposed drive-through business in the City’s Adopt-a-Street Program to ensure that Jacombs Road is free of litter and trash, and (vi) one electric vehicle (EV) station and one parking space equipped with a 240-volt electric outlet will be provided on the site.

In reply to queries from the Panel, Mr. Craig advised that (i) the traffic impact assessment confirms that the anticipated flow of vehicular traffic in the area including and drive-through vehicle queueing area could be accommodated by the existing road network and proposed site layout, (ii) the development permit proposal is consistent with what was presented at rezoning stage, and (iii) the 240-volt electrical outlet installed for one parking stall will allow the future installation of an additional charging station.

Panel Discussion

In reply to queries from the Panel, Barry Weih, Wensley Architecture Ltd., confirmed that (i) the proposed and future EV charging stations could be used by the drive-through restaurant employees and the public, and (ii) the proposed garbage and recycling area is located away from residential areas and will be screened.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would permit the construction of a single-storey building with drive-through restaurant use at 13020 Delf Place on a site zoned “Industrial Business Park (IB1)”.

CARRIED

3.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 18-826280 
(REDMS No. 6345235)

APPLICANT:

Gradual Architecture Inc.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

4100 Vanguard Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

Permit the development of a 927 m² light industrial building at 4100 Vanguard Road on a site zoned “Industrial Retail (IR1)”.

Applicant’s Comments

Ian Guan, Gradual Architecture Inc., with the aid of a visual presentation (copy on file, City Clerk’s Office), provided background information on the proposed development, highlighting the following:

§   

the proposed site layout, i.e., surface parking lot at the front and the two-storey light industrial building at the rear, provides easy access for vehicles and bicycles into the site;

§   

the proposed industrial building will be set back 10 feet from the east property line to address the residential uses to the east of the subject site; 

§   

the shadow analysis indicates that the proposed two-storey industrial building will result in minimal shadowing to the residential properties to the east as there is a large existing hedge that will be retained to the east;

§   

there are no overlook concerns for the adjacent residential properties to the east due to the screening provided by the existing tall hedge along the east property line;

§   

warehouse and office spaces are provided in the two-storey industrial building,

§   

windows and openings will be installed only on the front (west) façade of the building to avoid potential overlook and privacy concerns for neighbouring properties, particularly for residential properties to the east;

§   

varying materials and colours are proposed for the front façade to provide visual interest; and

§   

rooftop mechanical units will be installed on the west portion of the building away from residential properties and will be screened.

Patricia Campbell, PMG Landscape Architects, briefed the Panel on the main landscape features of the project, noting that (i) plantings, hedges and trees are proposed on the front (west) side, (ii) permeable paving treatment is proposed for the pedestrian pathway to the site, and (iii) the 10-foot buffer zone along the east side of the property will be landscaped.

In reply to queries from the Panel, Ms. Campbell acknowledged that (i) the climbing vine   proposed to grow on the trellis structure mounted to the east building wall is shade tolerant, and (ii) the mature hedge along the east property line provides visual screening to the residential properties to the east.

In reply to a query from the Panel, Mr. Guan confirmed that the proposed building will be occupied by a single tenant.

In reply to a further query from the Panel regarding the appropriate size of trees proposed to be planted on-site considering their small number, Ms. Campbell advised that the caliper of trees to be installed on the site could be upsized.

Direction was then given to staff to work with the applicant to increase the caliper of trees to be planted on-site prior to the application moving forward for Council consideration.

Staff Comments

Mr. Craig noted that (i) there is a Servicing Agreement for frontage improvements along Vanguard Road, (ii) two Level 2 EV charging stations will be provided in the parking area, and (iii) a legal agreement will be secured to ensure that a 10 percent total energy savings beyond the minimum BC Building Code 2018 requirements will be implemented with the project.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would permit the development of a 927 m² light industrial building at 4100 Vanguard Road on a site zoned “Industrial Retail (IR1)”.

CARRIED

4.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 18-829204 
(REDMS No. 6407865)

APPLICANT:

Fougere Architecture Inc.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

9391, 9393 and 9411 No. 2 Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

1.

Permit the construction of 11 townhouse units at 9391, 9393 and 9411 No. 2 Road on a site zoned “Medium Density Townhouses (RTM2); and

2.

Vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to:

(a)

reduce the front yard setback from 6.0 m to 5.05 m; and

(b)

increase the allowable small car parking spaces from 0 to 20% (5 spaces).

Applicant’s Comments

Wayne Fougere, Fougere Architecture Inc., with the aid of a visual presentation (copy on file, City Clerk’s Office), provided background information on the proposed development, highlighting the following:

§   

the proposed development includes 11 family-oriented townhouse units and one secondary unit;

§   

three-storey units front onto No. 2 Road, with the exception of the northernmost unit which is two storeys, and two-storey duplexes are sited at the rear (west side), adjacent to single-family homes;

§   

significant trees along the north property line and smaller trees along the west property line are proposed to be retained;

§   

the proposed architectural styles for the project include a “brownstone” rowhouse concept with “modern farmhouse” finish;

§   

proposed primary exterior building materials include, among others, brick cladding and board and batten;

§   

permeable paving treatment is proposed for prominent areas on the site and parking stalls;

§   

internal pedestrian pathways are proposed; and

§   

the common outdoor amenity area includes, among others, a children’s play area, bicycle racks and seating;

In reply to queries from the Panel, Mr. Fougere acknowledged that (i) the rear yards of the rear townhouse units will be raised by two feet, (ii) the proposed front yard setback variance will result in a larger rear yard setback, (iii) future developments to the north will be allowed access through the site, and (iv) significant measures are being adopted to protect the roots of retained trees along the north property line during construction.  

Staff Comments

Mr. Craig noted that (i) there is a Servicing Agreement for frontage works and bus stop upgrades, (ii) the proposed front yard setback variance is consistent with Official Community Plan (OCP) guidelines which support a reduced front yard setback where a larger rear yard setback is provided, (iii) an acoustical report was provided by the applicant which indicates that interior noise standards in the OCP will be achieved, and (iv) the proposed small car parking variance will allow more side-by-side arrangements in parking garages.

Gallery Comments

None.

Correspondence

None.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would:

1.

permit the construction of 11 townhouse units at 9391, 9393 and 9411 No. 2 Road on a site zoned “Medium Density Townhouses (RTM2); and

2.

vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to:

(a)

reduce the front yard setback from 6.0 m to 5.05 m; and

(b)

increase the allowable small car parking spaces from 0 to 20% (5 spaces).

CARRIED

5.

Date of Next Meeting:  May 13, 2020

6.

Adjournment

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting be adjourned at 4:30 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, April 29, 2020.

_______________________________

_____________________________

Joe Erceg 
Chair

Rustico Agawin 
Committee Clerk