February 15, 2016 - Minutes

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie
Councillor Chak Au
Councillor Derek Dang
Councillor Carol Day
Councillor Ken Johnston
Councillor Alexa Loo
Councillor Bill McNulty
Councillor Linda McPhail
Councillor Harold Steves

David Weber, Corporate Officer

Call to Order:

Mayor Brodie opened the proceedings at 7:00 p.m.

1.

OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAW 9000, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9506
(Location:  8020, 8040, 8100, 8140, 8160, 8200, 8240, 8280, 8320, 8480, 8580, 8600, 8720, 8760, 8840, 9220, 9360, 9500, 9560, 10060, 10160, 10180, 10220, 10260, 10320, 10780, 10820, and 10880 No. 5 Road, 12011, 12100, 12180, 12200, 12260, 12280, and 12300 Blundell Road, and 12339 and 12733 Steveston Highway; Applicant:  City of Richmond)

Applicant’s Comments:

Terry Crowe, Manager, Policy Planning Department provided the following update on the application:

§   

the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) has indicated that the proposed amendment is acceptable as it is consistent with the ALC’s long-standing support for the agricultural use of the Backlands;

§   

Townline Gardens Inc. has requested that the four properties at the south end of the Policy Area be removed from the bylaw amendment as they are outside of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR);

§   

the ALC has not received a formal application from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) with respect to the widening of the highway to accommodate the George Massey Bridge Project; and

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the widening of the highway on the west side of No. 5 Road is an option that could be explored when an application is received from the MOTI.

Written Submissions:

(a)

Eileen Wu, 8240 No. 5 Road (Schedule 1)

(b)

Colin Fry, Agricultural Land Commission (Schedule 2)

Submissions from the floor:

Marni Adrian, Richmond Christian School Association, 10260 No. 5 Road, requested that the City postpone the implementation of the bylaw amendment, until there is certainty regarding whether additional agricultural land will be required for the construction of the George Massey Bridge. The MOTI has not yet indicated the amount of agricultural land that would be required to be taken from the school’s property.

Discussion ensued regarding the requirement for the City to be informed when an application from the MOTI is received by the ALC. If adopted, the Backlands Strategy OCP Amendment could be implemented with each development, and at the earliest, over the next year. Hence, if there is a conflict presented by the expropriation by the Province, the Backlands Strategy could be amended to address the conflict. Council confirmed its intention to defer construction of the farm access road until there is certainty around the George Massey Bridge land requirements.

Bill Zylmans, 17771 Westminster Highway, spoke to Council as an individual who farms 35 acres of the land in question. There is a problem with drainage and irrigation on the land, but road access to the Backlands has not been an issue. Mr. Zylmans requested that Council postpone the decision on the Backlands Strategy, noting that additional property expropriation will further limit the type of crops that can be grown on the land. Staff responded to a question from Mr. Zylman by advising that a developer would be required to provide the property that would be needed for the Backlands access road as well as provide a right-of way, as part of a development application process.

Shaheen Rashid, Shia Muslim Society, 8580 No. 5 Road, expressed his opinion that the bylaw amendment is not urgent and questioned how the amendment to the OCP would affect the Shia Muslim Society, who do not have a rezoning application in progress. Staff confirmed that the status quo would continue and there would be no impact on the current agreement that allows the land to be utilized as a school playground. Staff further confirmed that the right-of-way for the farm road access would be required to be given to the City without cost.

In response to a question from Council, the Mr. Rashid advised that he has not been party to the discussion with the Province regarding the amount of land required from the Society for the George Massey Bridge.

Council provided the following comments:

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the Backlands Strategy demonstrates the importance of protecting farmland, irrespective of the scale of the farming activity involved and the variability in the use of the land for raising animals or crops; and

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the situation on No. 5 Road is a long-standing arrangement between the City and the ALC to allow religious institutions to front No. 5 Road on the condition that they farm the Backlands and the suggestion that the Backlands not be farmed would be contrary to the agreement.

Staff confirmed that the City has not invested any taxpayer resources to the farm the Backlands to date.

PH16/2-1

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Official Community Plan Bylaw 9000, Amendment Bylaw 9506 be amended to include the revised No. 5 Road Backlands Policy Area Map which removes the properties at 12733, 10780, 10820 and 12339 Steveston Highway and 10880 No. 5 Road from the No. 5 Road Backlands Policy area (attached to and forming part of these Minutes as Schedule 3).

CARRIED

Opposed: Cllr. Loo

PH16/2-2

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Official Community Plan Bylaw 9000, Amendment Bylaw 9506 be given second as amended and third reading.

CARRIED

Opposed: Cllr. Loo

PH16/2-3

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Official Community Plan Bylaw 9000, Amendment Bylaw 9506 be adopted.

CARRIED

Opposed: Cllr. Loo

2.

RICHMOND ZONING BYLAW 8500, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9507 (ZT 15-708370)
(Location:  8477 Bridgeport Road; Applicant:  GBL Architects Inc.)

Applicant’s Comments:

The applicant was available to respond to queries.

Written Submissions:

None

Submissions from the floor:

None

PH16/2-4

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 9507 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED

3.

RICHMOND ZONING BYLAW 8500, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9511 (RZ 15-692244)
(Location:  7400/7420 Schaefer Avenue; Applicant:  Chi Kuen Yeung and Cardison Chun Kik Yeung)

Applicant’s Comments:

The applicant was available to respond to queries.

Written Submissions:

None

Submissions from the floor:

None

In response to a question from Council, staff confirmed that the provision of parking, in accordance with the bylaw, would be adequate.

PH16/2-5

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 9511 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT

PH16/2-6

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (7:52 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the Regular meeting for Public Hearings of the City of Richmond held on Monday, February 15, 2016.

Mayor (Malcolm D. Brodie)

Corporate Officer
(David Weber)