August 9, 2023 - Minutes

Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Remote (Zoom) Meeting

Present:

Cecilia Achiam, General Manager, Community Safety, Chair

Peter Russell, Acting General Manager, Engineering and Public Works

James Cooper, Director, Building Approvals

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, be adopted.

CARRIED

1.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 21-940028

(REDMS No. 7236092)

APPLICANT:

The Panatch Group

PROPERTY LOCATION:

10140, 10160, 10180 No.1 Road and 4051 Cavendish Drive

INTENT OF PERMIT:

Permit the construction of 35 townhouse units at 10140, 10160, 10180 No.1 Road and 4051 Cavendish Drive on a site zoned “Town Housing (ZT88) - No. 1 Road (Steveston)”.

Applicant’s Comments

David Jacobson and Kush Panatch, representing The Panatch Group, introduced the project and highlighted the following:

§   

the project has been designed to fit well with the existing neighbourhood;

§   

the proposed development consists of 35 townhouse units, including six affordable housing units and 29 market residential units;

§   

the design and quality of materials of the affordable housing units is not differentiated from the market residential units;

§   

all six affordable housing units and four market residential units are convertible units;

§   

four of the units will contain a secondary suite;

§   

two significant trees will be retained and protected in the central outdoor amenity area;

§   

the proposed common outdoor amenity spaces exceed the City’s minimum requirement and a significant portion is dedicated to the children’s play area;

§   

the project has been designed to achieve Step Code Level 3 of the BC Energy Step Code and includes a low-carbon energy system;

§   

Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging will be provided in each residential garage; and

§   

an east-west public walkway is proposed along the south property line to provide a pedestrian connection from No. 1 Road to Cavendish Drive.

Taizo Yamamoto, Yamamoto Architecture Inc., with the aid of a visual presentation (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 1), provided additional background information on the proposed development, noting that (i) an emergency vehicle access and pedestrian connector will be provided to connect the two ends of Cavendish Drive along the east side of the subject site, (ii) a secondary outdoor amenity area including an active children’s play area will be provided in addition to the central outdoor amenity area, (iii) the heights of some buildings has been reduced to provide an appropriate interface with  adjacent single-family homes, and (iv) the proposed massing and architectural design of the buildings are informed by their site context and existing adjacent developments.

Mary Chan-Yip, PMG Landscape Architects, briefed the Panel on the main landscaping features of the project, noting that (i) a diverse palette of planting materials is proposed for the project, (ii) appropriate landscaping is proposed for the frontage and along the edges of the subject site, (iii) lighting will be provided for the public walkway along the south property line, (iv) all units will be provided with a semi-private yard with a patio and landscaped area, (v) a wood deck is proposed in the central outdoor amenity area to protect the root zone of the two retained trees, (vi) permeable pavers are strategically installed  on the subject site, (vii)  appropriate types of lighting will be provided throughout the site, and (viii) an on-site highly efficient smart irrigation system is proposed.

Staff Comments

Suzanne Smith, Acting Director, Development, noted that (i) the six affordable housing units are secured with a housing agreement, (ii) there are no variances associated with the proposal, (iii) two on-site trees located in the outdoor amenity area, six trees located on adjacent properties, and one City tree will be retained and protected, (iv) 62 on-site trees were removed, (v) 66 replacement trees are proposed to be planted, (vi) the applicant will provide a voluntary contribution to the City’s Tree Compensation Fund for the remaining replacement trees that are required, (vii) the Servicing Agreement associated with the project includes frontage improvements along No. 1 Road, a new emergency vehicle access and pedestrian connector along Cavendish Drive, a public walkway along the south property line and water, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer upgrades, and (viii) the project has been designed to achieve BC Energy Step Code Level 3 with a low-carbon energy system including heat pumps and will be designed to be solar ready.

Panel Discussion

In reply to a query from the Panel, Ms. Smith advised that staff provided an updated location map for the subject site that excludes the adjacent property to the north at 10120 No. 1 Road (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 2). Also, she noted that the developer had made efforts to include the adjacent property to the north into the proposed development but was unsuccessful.

In reply to further queries from the Panel, Ms. Smith confirmed that the proposed emergency vehicle access/pedestrian connector along Cavendish Drive and the east-west public walkway are owned by the City.

In reply to queries from the Panel, the applicant noted that (i) the attic on the third floor of convertible unit C1 will be within the single roof form of the building that will read like a two-and a half-storey building, (ii) the applicant could consider installing a pedestrian pathway to connect the secondary play area to the emergency vehicle access/pedestrian connector, (iii) no benches are proposed along the emergency access/pedestrian connector along Cavendish Drive, (iv) a detached utility building is provided adjacent to the central outdoor amenity area, (v) the sod boulevard with street trees along Cavendish Drive could be usable and provide play opportunities, (vi) the convertible units are accessible from the outside to their main entries, (vii) the Fire Department has been consulted regarding fire truck access into the site, (viii) the type of heat pumps proposed for the project has been proven to have no noise concerns, and (ix) the heat pumps are located on the ground floor and away from areas that are noise sensitive.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

Mark Nielsen, 8-10177 Pugwash Place, expressed support for the proposed east-west public walkway and the retention of significant trees on the subject site. In addition, he queried (i) whether the remaining replacement trees that could not be accommodated on the site would be planted elsewhere, and (ii) when should site preparation activities occur, e.g. preloading, considering that significant site preparation activities has been undertaken on the subject site and a development permit has yet to be issued for the proposed development.

In reply to the query regarding the replacement trees, Ms. Smith noted that (i) the  voluntary contribution the applicant would pay to the City’s Tree Compensation Fund in lieu of planting the remaining required replacement trees on-site would be used by the City’s Parks Department to plant trees elsewhere, and (ii) the City’s Parks Department will determine where the replacement trees would be planted, if possible in areas immediately adjacent to the subject site. 

In reply to the query on the timing of site preparation activities, the applicant noted that although there is a risk that a development permit will not be issued for the project or the project will be modified, the developer had already started preloading activities in order to save time. 

In reply to the same query, Edwin Lee, Planner 2, noted that there is no permit required for site preparation activities and the timing would be the developer’s decision.

Panel Discussion

The Panel expressed support for the proposal, noting that the project is sensitively designed. 

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would permit the construction of 35 townhouse units at 10140, 10160, 10180 No.1 Road and 4051 Cavendish Drive on a site zoned “Town Housing (ZT88) - No. 1 Road (Steveston)”.

CARRIED

3.

New Business

None.

CARRIED

4.

Date of Next Meeting:     August 23, 2023

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:18 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, August 9, 2023.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Cecilia Achiam
Chair

Rustico Agawin
Committee Clerk