March 15, 2021 - Minutes

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair
Councillor Chak Au (by teleconference)
Councillor Carol Day (by teleconference)
Councillor Alexa Loo (by teleconference)
Councillor Bill McNulty (by teleconference)
Councillor Linda McPhail (by teleconference)
Councillor Harold Steves (by teleconference)
Councillor Michael Wolfe (by teleconference)

Matthew O’Halloran, Acting Corporate Officer

Call to Order:

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

Mayor Brodie advised that amendments to the Official Community Plan Bylaw 9000, Amendment Bylaws 10230, 10231 and 10232 are required, as a result the following motion was introduced:

PH21/3-1

It was moved and seconded

That consideration of the Official Community Plan Bylaw 9000, Amendment Bylaws 10230, 10231 and 10232 be tabled to the April 19, 2021 Public Hearing.

CARRIED

1.

OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAW 7100 AND 9000, AMENDMENT BYLAW 10154  
(Location:  5300 No. 3 Road; Applicant:  Vanprop Investments Ltd. Inc. No. 270547)

Applicant’s Comments:

Kim McInnes and Joost Bakker, representatives of the applicant, highlighted:

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commitment to the City through significant ownership of the development;

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interim construction jobs and full-time employment to be created by the development;

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proposal for amendments to the Official Community Plan (OCP), in addition to a rezoning application; and

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the Lansdowne redevelopment will result in a complete community.

In response to a question from Council, the applicant’s representatives commented on its willingness to work with the Richmond School District regarding the inclusion of an elementary school within the development.

Written Submissions:

Evan Dunfee, Richmond resident (Schedule 1)

Submissions from the floor:

Shaena Furlong, Richmond Chamber of Commerce, spoke in favour of the proposed phased redevelopment of the Lansdowne Centre as the additional residential units will support employment in Richmond.

Ella Huang, Richmond Centre for Disabilities, spoke in support of the redevelopment of Lansdowne Centre as the proximity to the Canada Line and other features will reduce barriers to those with mobility challenges.

Robert Brown, Catalyst Community Developments Society, spoke in support of the Master Land Use Plan and OCP amendment application as it will deliver low end of market housing.

Ahmed, Omran, S.U.C.C.E.S.S., spoke in support of the application as it will provide much needed affordable housing.

Sylvain Celaire, Moto BC, expressed support for the OCP amendment and the Master Land Use Plan as it will provide residents with the opportunity to shift away from automobile dependency.

Rebecca Swaim, Trinity Western University, spoke in support of the application as the Lansdowne redevelopment will be attractive to university students.

Judy Yang, Richmond resident, expressed the following concerns with the proposed OCP amendment:

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the proposed building height will cause shadowing on adjacent buildings;

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loss of trees on Kwantlen Street; and

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impact on access to the Canada Line via Alderbridge Way during construction.

Stephen DesRoches, Richmond resident, spoke in support of the proposed OCP amendment as it will enhance cycling infrastructure for Richmond residents.

Janice Sayson, Richmond resident, spoke in support of the OCP amendment as the additional housing supply will provide young people with an opportunity to purchase a home in Richmond.

In response to questions from Council, staff provided the following information:

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road crossings in the linear park will be considered during detailed design to ensure ease of crossing by pedestrians and cyclists;

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the proposed width of the roadways is due to the need to accommodate multi-mode transportation uses;

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the current OCP allows building heights of 25 metres;

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the retention of trees on Kwantlen Street will be considered during detailed design;

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sidewalks will be installed on the south side of Alderbridge Way as part of the construction;

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interim access to the Canada Line will be provided during construction;

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the Master Land Use Plan provides for approximately 70,000 square feet of non-residential space to be utilized for commercial and office spaces;

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shadow analysis of the existing building will be conducted during detailed design;

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the linear park will serve as an active east-west transportation corridor for pedestrians and cyclists, in addition to being a park; and

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the use of the City-owned amenity space in the development will be subject to a future Council decision.

During discussion, Council offered the following comments:

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concern that congestion on the surrounding roadways will discourage Richmond residents from enjoying the new development;

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concern that the linear park will reduce the amount of green space required to be provided by the developer;

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concern that the newly built housing will be left vacant; and

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the need to education the community regarding the multiple uses of the linear park.

PH21/3-2

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 10154 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED

Opposed: Cllr. Wolfe

2.

OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAW 9000, AMENDMENT BYLAW 10230, 10231 & 10232 
(Location:  City-wide; Applicant:  City of Richmond)

In accordance with PH21/3-1, this item was tabled to the April 19, 2021 Public Hearing.

3.

RICHMOND ZONING BYLAW 8500, AMENDMENT BYLAW 10234 (RZ 20-905149)
(Location:  9931/9951 Parsons Road; Applicant:  Rick Bowal)

Applicant’s Comments:

In response to a question from Council, the applicant advised that the soil at the rear of the site will be repurposed for use on the site, if possible.

Written Submissions:

None.

Submissions from the floor:

None.

PH21/3-3

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 10234 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED

4.

TEMPORARY USE PERMIT (TU 20-918062) 
(Location:  2520, 2540, 2560, 2580, 2600, 2640 Smith Street and 9031 Bridgeport Road; Applicant:  BC Housing Management Commission)

Applicant’s Comments:

In response to questions from Council, the applicant advised that (i) security measures for the temporary modular housing will include fencing around the site, lighting and security cameras, and (ii) the security measures have been reviewed with the RCMP.

Written Submissions:

None.

Submissions from the floor:

None.

PH21/3-4

It was moved and seconded

That a Temporary Use Permit be issued to allow “Congregate Housing” use (limited to the development of a three-storey supportive housing building with 40 studio units and vehicle access from Smith Street) as a site-specific permitted use for 3 years from the date of issuance.

CARRIED

5.

RICHMOND ZONING BYLAW 8500, AMENDMENT BYLAW 10237 (FLOOR AREA EXCLUSIONS FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE SINGLE-FAMILY AND DUPLEX HOUSING) 
(Location:  City-wide; Applicant:  City of Richmond)

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 advised that consideration of smaller lots and smaller houses will form part of the upcoming review of the Official Community Plan.

PH21/3-5

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 10237 be given second and third readings.

CARRIED

PH21/3-6

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 10237 be adopted.

CARRIED

PH21/3-7

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Building Regulation Bylaw 7230, Amendment Bylaw 10238 be adopted.

CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT

PH21/3-8

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (8:40 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, March 15, 2021.

Mayor

(Malcolm D. Brodie)

Acting Corporate Officer

(Matthew O’Halloran)