October 20, 2022 - Minutes

Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Remote (Zoom) Meeting

Present:

John Irving, General Manager, Engineering and Public Works, Acting Chair
Cecilia Achiam, General Manager, Community Safety
Peter Russell, Director, Sustainability and District Energy

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on September 14, 2022 be adopted.

CARRIED

1.

GENERAL COMPLIANCE – REQUEST BY CHUNGHWA HOTEL GROUP LTD. FOR A GENERAL COMPLIANCE RULING AT 2899 and 2888 JOW STREET
(File Ref. No.:  DP 18-825006)  (REDMS No. 6995159)

APPLICANT:

Chunghwa Hotel Group Ltd.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

2899 and 2888 Jow Street

INTENT OF GENERAL COMPLIANCE RULING REQUEST:

To consider the attached plans involving changes to the design of the proposed landscaping and to the Environmentally Sensitive Area compensation plan to be in General Compliance with the approved Development Permit (DP 18-825006).

Applicant’s Comments

Salim Narayanan, IBI Group, Andrew Danielson, van der Zalm + Associates, Inc., and Jeremy Nilson, Keystone Environmental Ltd., with the aid of a visual presentation (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 1), provided background information on the proposed changes to the design of the landscaping and to the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) compensation plan associated with the issued Development Permit 18-825006, highlighting the following:

§   

there is an ESA between Hotel 1 Building (2899 Jow Street) and Office 2 Building (9250 Beckwith Road);

§   

there is a loss of 22 trees associated with the ESA area and corresponding habitat due to water retention in the ESA;

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the water retention in the ESA was due to heavy rains and a water main break in the area;

§   

the revised proposal will provide replacement planting at a 3:1 ratio;

§   

the original ESA compensation plan associated with the issued Development Permit 18-825006 will be revised to account for the loss of the trees,  including measures such as retaining five existing trees that have died as wildlife trees, raising the grades within the ESA to match the grades of the adjacent sites, removing the invasive plants, replanting of 31 new trees in the ESA area and installing shrubs and groundcovers;

§   

the proposed revised ESA compensation plan would restore the habitat values that were lost as a result of the loss of 22 trees;

§   

a total of 66 trees are proposed to be planted on-site, with 31 trees to be installed within the ESA and 35 trees will be provided in the landscaped areas outside of the ESA; and

§   

in addition to the new trees, a portion of the trees to be planted on the site within and outside of the ESA will be upsized to provide additional landscape and habitat value.

Staff Comments

Wayne Craig, Director, Development, noted that (i) a five-year monitoring period is required for the ESA replacement planting, and (ii) an additional cash security will be secured to ensure the installation, retention and survival of planting.

Panel Discussion

In reply to queries from the Panel, the applicant noted that (i) excessive water caused the trees in the ESA to decline despite the measures taken to prevent the loss of 22 trees within the ESA, including installing drainage and pumping out the water that had accumulated around the trees, (ii) compared to the original ESA compensation plan associated with the issued Development Permit 18-825006, the proposed revised ESA compensation and restoration plan would provide an equal habitat value, (iii) the grade of the affected site within the ESA will be raised to match the grades of adjacent sites to prevent the retention of water within the ESA, (iv) the proposed plantings will include those suitable for use by local native pollinators as habitat, and (v) on-site areas outside of the proposed landscaped areas (which are mostly around the perimeter of the site) are not suitable locations for additional plantings due to the project’s parking and underground utility requirements.

In reply to a query from the Panel, Mr. Craig confirmed that in addition to the required five-year monitoring plan for the replacement plantings and related works associated with the ESA compensation plan, the project arborist is required to be on-site during the construction period for any works in or around the tree protection zones including the installation of irrigation systems.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

None.

Panel Discussion

The Panel noted that (i) while it is disappointing to see the loss of these trees, it appears best efforts were made to prevent the loss of retained trees, and (ii) the upsizing of trees proposed to be planted would provide an adequate level of compensation for the loss of the trees in the subject site.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That the attached plans involving changes to the design of the proposed landscaping and to the Environmentally Sensitive Area compensation plan be considered to be in General Compliance with the approved Development Permit (DP 18-825006).

CARRIED

2.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 21-934726
(REDMS No. 6969951)

APPLICANT:

Doxa Construction Ltd.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

6700 Francis Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

Permit the construction of a total of two front-to-back duplexes at 6700 Francis Road (one on each new lot after subdivision), on lots zoned “Two-Unit Dwellings (ZD7) – Francis Road (Blundell)”.

Applicant’s Comments

Jiang Zhu, Imperial Architecture Ltd., with the aid of a visual presentation (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 2), provided background information on the proposed development, highlighting the following:

§   

the subject site will be subdivided to create two lots;

§   

the proposal includes two two-storey front-to-back duplex buildings, with one duplex building located on either side of a shared central drive aisle;

§   

each unit in the duplex building is separated by a carport that provides two side-by-side parking spaces for each unit;

§   

a shared visitor parking stall is located at the south end of the shared drive aisle;

§   

the architectural expression of the two duplex buildings has been differentiated through the use of different architectural treatments, colour schemes and materials;

§   

the deck in the middle of each duplex building breaks up the building mass; the decks are oriented towards the internal drive aisle to avoid overlook onto adjacent properties;

§   

smaller windows along the side yards are proposed to avoid overlook onto adjacent properties; and

§   

one convertible unit will be provided in the proposed development.

Lu Xu, RPL Projects, Ltd., with the aid of the same visual presentation, briefed the Panel on the main landscape features of the project, noting that (i) two colour tones are proposed for the permeable pavers on the entire shared central drive aisle to emphasize its use by both pedestrians and vehicles, (ii) trees are proposed to be planted in the front and back yards of each unit, (iii) existing trees in the backyards of rear units will be retained due to the existing right-of-way, (iv) a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees will be planted, and (v) a gravel pathway is proposed on the side yard of each duplex building and vine planting will be installed adjacent to the fence to provide greenery.

Staff Comments

Mr. Craig noted that (i) the project has been designed to meet Step Code 3 of the BC Energy Step Code with the provision of heat pumps for heating and cooling, (ii) the heat pump units will comply with the City’s Noise Regulation Bylaw, and (iii) there is a Servicing Agreement associated with the project for frontage improvements along Francis Road.

Panel Discussion

A suggestion was made to install permeable pavers in lieu of concrete slabs for the patios of back units to further enhance on-site storm water permeability.

Staff were then directed to work with the applicant to investigate opportunities for installing permeable pavers for the rear patios prior to the application moving forward to Council for consideration.

In reply to queries from the Panel, the applicant noted that (i) there are no walls on the east and west sides of the carports, (ii) the perimeter fences along the east and west property lines will prevent headlight glare from the carport to spill out into neighbouring properties, and (iii) the view to adjacent properties from the deck on top of the carports will be blocked by the building mass and will therefore not pose overlook concerns.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

None.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would permit the construction of a total of two front-to-back duplexes at 6700 Francis Road (one on each new lot after subdivision), on lots zoned “Two-Unit Dwellings (ZD7) – Francis Road (Blundell)”.

CARRIED

3.

New Business

It was moved and seconded

That the Development Permit Panel meeting tentatively scheduled on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 be cancelled.

CARRIED

4.

Date of Next Meeting:     November  16, 2022

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:15 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 Thursday, October 20, 2022.

_______________________________

_________________________________

John Irving
Acting Chair

Rustico Agawin
Committee Clerk