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General Purposes Committee
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Date:
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Monday, April 16, 2018
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Place:
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Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall
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Present:
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Councillor Bill McNulty, Acting Chair
Councillor Chak Au
Councillor Derek Dang
Councillor Carol Day
Councillor Ken Johnston
Councillor Linda McPhail
Councillor Harold Steves
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Absent:
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Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair
Councillor Alexa Loo
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Call to Order:
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The Acting Chair called the meeting to order at 3:58 p.m.
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The Acting Chair acknowledged the passing of long time Steveston resident Keith Whittle and Committee expressed condolences to the Whittle family.
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It was noted that Schedule 2 of the minutes were from various sources and that the minutes should be amended to clarify the origin of the materials.
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It was moved and seconded
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That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on April 3, 2018, be adopted as amended.
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CARRIED
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ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION
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1.
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Phoenix Net Loft Preservation
(File Ref. No. 06-2052-25-BHSY1) (REDMS No. 5698772 v. 11)
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In response to queries from Committee, Jim Young, Senior Manager, Capital Buildings Project Development, clarified that (i) the project will restore the building and retain its current appearance while replacing the deteriorated portions of the superstructure and piles, (ii) the proposed foundation will allow for consideration of future programs and uses, (iii) the preservation project would not include insulation for the building however, staff intend to come forward with a separate report for different program options for Council’s consideration, which would determine the type of venting and heating required, (iv) the anticipated life expectancy of the building after preservation is approximately 50 years, (v) the building would allow for full public assembly, similar to the Seine Net Loft, and (vi) if the project is approved, consultation would be conducted with area residents over the loss of the 42 parking spaces.
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In response to further questions from Committee regarding the forthcoming usage report for the Phoenix Net Loft, Jane Fernyhough, Director, Arts, Culture and Heritage Services, advised that it would most likely be brought forward prior to the 2020 budget consideration and following the completion of the preservation project.
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It was moved and seconded
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That staff be authorized to proceed with Phoenix Net Loft Preservation construction as described in the staff report titled “Phoenix Net Loft Preservation,” dated March 29, 2018, from the Director, Engineering.
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CARRIED
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PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
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2.
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River Road – Proposed Implementation of Selected Road Safety Measures
(File Ref. No. 10-6450-09-01) (REDMS No. 5783853 v. 6)
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In response to questions from Committee, Victor Wei, Director, Transportation, noted that the current lane markings on River Road are historical, as most sections are curved and there are limited straight areas of road to allow for safe passing.
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Robert Gonzalez, Deputy CAO and General Manager, Engineering and Public Works, in response to a query from Committee, advised that a long term plan for the dike would be conducted in the future with partnership funding. Mr. Gonzalez further noted that generally a wider dike would be more stable if River Road were to be widened.
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Lynda Parsons, 2491 No. 8 Road, expressed concern over the proposed road safety measures recommended in the staff report and referenced her submission (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 1.) Ms. Parsons commented that she was of the opinion that (i) a site visit by staff should be conducted prior to the conversion of any portion of double solid lines, (ii) the placement of the delineator posts are potentially hazardous, (iii) inroad markers are required and must be left in place as they are critical for safety in fog or heavy rain and inroad markers that can detect and warn against black ice should be explored, (iv) staff should apply for the appropriate permits to allow sign post concrete bases to be buried, (v) RCMP should have input into the optimum placement of any speed reader boards along River Road, (vi) there should be more enforcement of overweight truck violations, and (vii) that the staff report should not be accepted in its current state.
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Ms. Parsons also inquired about clarification on immediate implementation for any safety enhancements and what time frame could be expected.
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Trudy Haywood, 22160 River Road, expressed support for most of the recommendations for safety enhancement listed in the staff report but noted concern about the installation of shoulder reflective delineators in place of pavement markers. Ms. Haywood further commented that delineator posts have been utilized in the past but were not well maintained. She was of the opinion that they would not be as effective as raised pavement markers (RPMs) and are intended only for cyclists. Ms. Haywood also noted that RPMs would be less intrusive to the view of the river and would not disturb the Riprarian Management Area. Ms. Haywood also commented that she was of the opinion that River Road has an average accident rate and that enhanced safety measures implemented are not necessary.
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Arline Trividic, 22600 River Road, expressed concern over the proposed road safety measures recommended in the staff report and read from her submission (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 2.)
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Yves Trividic, 22600 River Road, expressed concern over the single-file signage and noted that he was of the opinion that the signage is not compliant with the Motor Vehicle Act as it depicts that cyclists are allowed to take the lane. Mr. Trividic also commented that he is in support of no implementation of any further safety enhancement measures on River Road until fall 2018 and is not in support of the staff report recommendations.
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In further response to questions from Committee, Mr. Wei commented that this matter was referred back at the last Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting and it was noted during the meeting that there could be some immediate traffic calming measures initiated prior to the RCMP report in the fall. Mr. Wei continued that staff met with residents to discuss various traffic calming measures outlined in the report and that there was strong resident support of the conversion of the double yellow centreline to a dashed single yellow centreline. Mr. Wei further noted that (i) there is the option to do no further enhancements until the fall, (ii) staff could meet with residents regarding the conversion of the double yellow centreline for further explanations on placement, and (iii) the installation of speed humps is still on hold.
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Mr. Wei further noted, in response to Committee questions, that the permit for burying the concrete signage is a way to ensure there would be no impact to the Riparian Management Area or integrity of the existing shoulder. He also noted that the process could take 45 days to 2 months and that the public would have a chance to comment. Mr. Wei also advised that staff could look at alternate locations to avoid those areas, which may shorten the permit process period.
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Staff added that because of the amount of signs on the pole, it must be buried to 1/3 of the height and the hole would be approximately 1 metre deep and 8 inches wide in the dike core, which would not be recommended. Staff further noted that the permit process for burying the signage could be initiated while awaiting the RCMP report and if approved, the City would not be required to implement burying the signs.
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In response to additional queries from Committee, Mr. Wei advised that (i) no areas along River Road are wide enough to allow for the placement of the side-by-side signage, (ii) the raised pavement markers are currently mounted on the right edge of pavement, which may interfere with cyclists and staff recommend they be removed, (iii) staff can review painting a reflective white shoulder line after removing the markers, and (iv) the proposed locations of the speed reader boards were chosen strategically to efficiently target drivers and would be rotated to ensure they continue to be effective.
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Sergeant Nigel Pronger, Richmond RCMP’s Road Safety Unit, in response to questions from Committee advised that (i) RCMP are currently in an engagement phase with the cycling community and are connecting with HUB Cycling and other private cycling clubs that use Richmond roads to engage them about concerning cyclist behaviour, (ii) engagement will continue through summer, (iii) RCMP were in attendance on River Road 15 out of the 30 days in March, and in that time, no infractions were witnessed and they are still engaging with cyclists to ensure that future enforcement is effective, and (iv) RCMP reports at the end of summer will break down month by month and by topic all the combined enforcement operations including tracking Motor Vehicle Act violations and municipal bylaw infractions, as well as any statistics on motor vehicle incidents.
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In further response to questions from Committee regarding comments from the delegations on signage in contravention to the Motor Vehicle Act, Mr. Wei advised that staff ensure that all signage proposed is compliant with any Provincial regulations and guidelines. He further noted that the single-file signs proposed by staff are the national standard and are used in other jurisdictions and municipalities.
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As a result of the discussion, the following motion was introduced:
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It was moved and seconded
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(1)
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That the proposed road safety measures on River Road between No. 6 Road and Westminster Highway as outlined in the staff report titled “River Road – Proposed Implementation of Selected Road Safety Measures”, dated April 3, 2018 from the Director, Transportation, be endorsed for implementation prior to Fall 2018; and
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(2)
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That resident input be considered wherever possible and implemented when considering the proposed road safety measures, and that staff undertake a field meeting with the residents.
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The question on the motion was not called as discussion took place on the measures to be implemented, and it was clarified that only measures agreed on by both staff and residents should be undertaken.
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In response to further questions from Committee, Mr. Wei advised that the staff proposed safety enhancement measures are independent from the RCMP report and can be initiated prior to the fall. He further noted that staff would report back on the outcome of any discussions with residents, including which measures are implemented.
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The question on the motion was then called and it was CARRIED.
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It was moved and seconded
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That the meeting adjourn (4:47 p.m.).
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CARRIED
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Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Monday, April 16, 2018.
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_________________________________
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_________________________________
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Councillor Bill McNulty
Acting Chair
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Amanda Welby
Legislative Services Coordinator
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