December 18, 2017 - 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.

RICHMOND ZONING BYLAW 8500, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9788
(Location:  10011 Seacote Road; Applicant:  Ken Phuah)

Applicant’s Comments:

The Applicant was available to respond to queries.

Written Submissions:

None.

Submissions from the floor:

None.

PH17/11-1

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 9788 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED

2.

RICHMOND ZONING BYLAW 8500, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9789
(Location:  10460 Williams Road; Applicant:  Raj Dhaliwal)

Applicant’s Comments:

The Applicant was available to respond to queries.

Written Submissions:

None.

Submissions from the floor:

None.

PH17/11-2

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 9789 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED

3.

OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAW 9000, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9520 AND RICHMOND ZONING BYLAW 8500, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9756
(Location:  City Wide; Applicant:  City of Richmond)

Applicant’s Comments:

The Applicant (staff on behalf of the City of Richmond) was available to respond to queries.

Written Submissions:

(a)

Sadhu Johnston, City Manager, City of Vancouver (Schedule 1)

(b)

Suzanne Goldberg, Director, Public Policy-Canada (Schedule 2)

Submissions from the floor:

Don Flintoff, 6071 Dover Road, queried (i) whether multi-family developments will have an Electric Vehicle charging station in each residential parking space, and (ii) in the event of a common plug, which would be shared by all users, whether it would be regulated differently than a City-owned plug. Mr. Flintoff was of the opinion that the City would better benefit from a Supercharge charging station with larger voltages.  

In reply to the delegation’s queries, Brendan McEwen, Sustainability Manager, advised that (i) all residential parking spaces, excluding visitor parking, feature an electrical outlet capable of providing Level 2 charging, and (ii) in consultation with various stakeholders, it was determined that Level 2 charging would be preferable for at home charging applications.

PH17/11-3

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Official Community Plan Bylaw 9000, Amendment Bylaw 9520 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED

PH17/11-4

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 9756 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED

PH17/11-5

It was moved and seconded

That Official Community Plan Bylaw 9000, Amendment Bylaw 9520 be adopted.

CARRIED

PH17/11-6

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 9756 be adopted.

CARRIED

4.

OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAW 7100, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9775 AND OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAW 7100, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9797
(Location:  Steveston Village; Applicant:  City of Richmond)

Applicant’s Comments:

The Applicant (staff on behalf of the City of Richmond) was available to respond to queries.

Written Submissions:

None.

Submissions from the floor:

Ken Chow, Architect, expressed concern regarding the proposed changes to the Steveston Area Plan, noting that he is currently working on a development in Steveston and the proposed changes may impact the design of the proposed development and requested that his project be exempt from the proposed bylaw.

Jun Zi, representative for an investor with an active development in Steveston, expressed concern with the proposed bylaw and how it would negatively affect the active development.  He remarked that the Applicant has met all of the City’s requirements and therefore, the active development should be exempt from the proposed changes.

PH17/11-7

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Official Community Plan Bylaw 7100, Amendment Bylaw 9775 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED
Opposed: Cllr. Loo

PH17/11-8

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Official Community Plan Bylaw 7100, Amendment Bylaw 9797 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED
Opposed: Cllr. Loo

PH17/11-9

It was moved and seconded

That Official Community Plan Bylaw 7100, Amendment Bylaw 9775 be adopted.

CARRIED
Opposed: Cllr. Loo

PH17/11-10

It was moved and seconded

That Official Community Plan Bylaw 7100, Amendment Bylaw 9797 be adopted.

CARRIED
Opposed: Cllr. Loo

5.

OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAW 7100, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9062 AND RICHMOND ZONING BYLAW 8500, AMENDMENT BYLAW 9063
(Location:  4020, 4080, 4100, 4180, 4280 and 4300 Bayview Street (formerly 4300 Bayview Street); Applicant:  Onni Development (Imperial Landing) Corp.)

Applicant’s Comments:

The Applicant was available to respond to queries.

Written Submissions:

(a)

John Roston, 12262 Ewen Avenue (Schedule 3)

(b)

Rupert Whiting (Schedule 4)

(c)

Jim van der Tas, President, Steveston Merchants Association (Schedule 5)

(d)

Teresa Murphy, 9651 Finn Road (Schedule 6)

(e)

Colleen Burke, 4311 Bayview Street (Schedule 7)

(f)

Erika Simm, 4991 Westminster Highway (Schedule 8)

(g)

Marion Smith, Richmond resident (Schedule 9)

(h)

Don Flintoff, 6071 Dover Road (Schedule 10)

(i)

John Roston, 12262 Ewen Avenue (Schedule 11)

(j)

Tasha Schermerhorn, Richmond resident (Schedule 12)

(k)

Rossano DeCotiis, President, Onni Group (Schedule 13)

(l)

Memorandum from the Director, Development (Schedule 14)

Submissions from the floor:

Richard Wozny, Principal, Site Economics Ltd., reviewed in detail the process undertaken to determine the anticipated land lift value, commenting on (i) estimated lease rates, (ii) estimated capitalization rates, and (iii) estimated building values under the current zoning and under the proposed new zoning.

Bob King, 11100 Railway Avenue, spoke on the proposed amenity contribution amount and urged Council to accept nothing less than 100% of the land lift value.

John Roston, 12262 Ewen Avenue, remarked that lease capitalization rates are speculative based on current data and will not be confirmed until after the leases are executed.  He suggested that Council accept the proposed community amenity contribution amount and review the matter in approximately three years, at which point the actual land lift value can be accurately calculated.  He added that, should the land lift value be higher than what is currently estimated, additional amenity contribution funds be collected.  Alternatively, Mr. Roston suggested that Council accept $5.5 million as estimated by the City’s economic consultant.

Kelly Greene, Richmond resident, spoke in opposition to the proposed development as she believes that small businesses in Steveston Village will be negatively affected. She expressed concern with the Applicant’s intentions for the site and was of the opinion that the amenity contribution amount being offered was not sufficient. 

Cynthia Rautio, 12282 English Avenue, expressed concern with the proposed hotel use as the site is in a residential neighbourhood.  She was of the opinion that the proposed hotel would increase traffic in the area, and cited concern with the patrons of the hotel and use of the hotel by unauthentic visitors.  Ms. Rautio then remarked that she did not believe that the hotel would have full occupancy year-round.

Don Flintoff, 6071 Dover Road, provided background information on the history of Imperial Landing. He then spoke on the anticipated hotel room amenities, and was of the opinion that eliminating kitchenettes would encourage visitors to dine at restaurants.  Also, Mr. Flintoff spoke on the amenity contribution amount, noting that he was in favour of an amount in the 8-9 million dollar range. 

Judy Schneider, 3851 Francis Road, expressed concern with regard to the proposed hotel use and was of the opinion that the introduction of large retailers in Steveston Village would negatively impact current local small businesses.  Ms. Schneider then urged Council to reject the application.  

Jim van der Tas, President, Steveston Merchants Association, spoke on the potential to rent the existing vacant space at the subject site to fishing companies in need of office space.  He then suggested that the development be split into thirds whereby each third would be Retail, Commercial, and Maritime Mixed Use.  Mr. van der Tas urged Council to consider a compromise that would benefit all involved and was of the opinion that the elimination of kitchenettes from the proposed hotel would be supported by Steveston restaurant owners.

Vern Renneberg, 4211 Bayview Street, expressed concern with regard to the first floor of the development site being used as a storage facility and remarked that he did not believe that Onni would be a good corporate neighbour in Steveston Village. He then queried the estimated land lift value reduction and urged Council to reject the application.

Jackie Turner, 12251 Hayashi Court, commented on a previous application submitted by the BC Packers for Imperial Landing. She noted that she would like to see the community amenity contribution go towards upgrading the Steveston Community Centre, which would benefit residents. Ms. Turner then commented on general business practices, noting that all businesses have competition and the market demand determines their viability.  She then stated that she would like to see the current vacant space filled.

Jackie, 4080 Garry Street, spoke in opposition to the proposed development.  She was of the opinion that Steveston Village did not need another hotel and believed that it would be vacant.  She then queried the Applicant’s intentions and was suspicious of the proposed project.  She requested that Mixed Maritime Use remain the only zone applied to the subject site.  

Rick Pawluk, 3257 Hunt Street, expressed concern with the proposed development and queried the Applicant’s intentions. He urged Council to carefully consider the application and obtain a higher community contribution amount.

Mayor Brodie acknowledged the conclusion of the first round of public speakers and invited the Applicant to address Council on comments made by the public delegations.

Chris Evans, Executive Vice-President, Onni Group, referenced a letter dated December 18, 2017 from Rossano De Cotiis, President Onni Group (Schedule 13).

In response to queries from Council, Mr. Evans commented on the Onni Group’s public perception in Richmond and was of the opinion that a disreputable business would not be in operation or be a successful business.  He acknowledged challenges the company has faced in other projects, and remarked that these issues have been resolved and have provided valuable experience to the company.  Mr. Evans then stated that Onni has been transparent and available to all stakeholders and despite their efforts, not all stakeholders have been satisfied.

Mr. Evans spoke to the current proposed amenity contribution amount, noting that the amount remains the same; however, as a gesture of good will, Onni is offering donations of $250,000 to each of two local groups: the Steveston Historical Society and the Richmond Hospital Foundation.

In reply to further queries from Council, Mr. Evans commented on the anticipated hotel room rates, noting that like with any business, there would be seasonable fluctuations in price and prices may be comparable to those at the hotel situated at Lonsdale Quay.  He then commented on the anticipated hotel operation model, noting that it would be marketed similar to that of Airbnb.

Mr. Evans concluded his remarks but stating that Onni believes the proposed application is a strong compromise from what was initially proposed and that Onni is open to hearing rationale whereby a developer contributes over 100% of an anticipated land lift value.

Seven speakers then addressed Council for a second time with new information.

Bob King, 11100 Railway Avenue, was of the opinion that the issue at hand was not financial, but instead about the project’s impact on the community.

Cynthia Rautio, 12282 English Avenue, cited concern regarding the operation of the proposed hotel as an Airbnb-style, as hotel patrons would not be accountable and adjacent residents’ security would be compromised.

In response to concerns raised regarding the operation of the proposed hotel as an Airbnb-style, Mr. Craig advised that should Council wish to apply restrictions on the proposed hotel, such conditions would need to be applied now and would become a rezoning consideration.

John Roston, 12262 Ewen Avenue, stated that disorderly conduct by hotel patrons was not welcome and advocated that his suggestions regarding the community amenity contribution be considered since accurate lease rates remain unknown.

Jim van der Tas, Steveston Merchants Association, advised that small businesses wish to see permitted uses limited on the subject site.

Vern Renneberg, 4211 Bayview Street, queried the proposed donations to the two local groups, noting that it was unorthodox.

Don Flintoff, 6071 Dover Road, expressed concern regarding the security of residents adjacent to the subject site, particularly if the proposed hotel is not staffed full-time.  Mr. Flintoff stated that a conventional hotel operation was preferable.

In response to concerns raised, Mr. Evans clarified that the proposed hotel would only utilize Airbnb’s room booking model as it is a valuable marketing tool and plays to consumers’ desire to lodge in a residential-style accommodation.

Discussion ensued regarding the current proposed community amenity contribution amount and as a result, the following motion was introduced:

PH17/11-11

It was moved and seconded

That the rezoning considerations for Official Community Plan Bylaw 7100, Amendment Bylaw 9062 and Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 9063 be amended to reflect an amenity contribution of $5.5 million as estimated by the economic consultants.

The question on the motion was not called as materials regarding a past marina proposal from the BC Packers was distributed (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 15).

Discussion took place on the proposed community amenity contribution amount. Also, it was clarified that a legal agreement would be registered on the subject site, which would ensure that all airspace parcels would remain under a single ownership scenario; should there be desire to stratify the subject site, a subsequent rezoning application would be required and be brought before Council for its consideration.

The question on the motion was then called and it was CARRIED with Cllrs. Au, Day, and Steves opposed.

PH17/11-12

It was moved and seconded

That the Application by Onni Development (Imperial Landing) Corp. for a Zoning Text Amendment at 4020, 4080, 4100, 4180, 4280 And 4300 Bayview Street (Formerly 4300 Bayview Street) to amend the "Steveston Maritime Mixed Use (ZMU12)" Zone and the "Steveston Maritime (ZC21)" Zone be referred back to staff for further discussion with the Applicant and that a potential covenant for the proposed hotel to be operated similar to a traditional hotel be examined.

CARRIED
Opposed: Cllrs. Au
Day

ADJOURNMENT

PH17/11-13

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (10:27 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, December 18, 2017.

Mayor (Malcolm D. Brodie)

Corporate Officer (David Weber)