MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, be adopted as circulated.

The question on the motion was not called, as the request was made that the minutes be amended on Page 6, third line of the third paragraph, by deleting the word “designer”, and by substituting the words “Richmond Heritage Commission”.

The question on the motion, as amended, was then called, and it was CARRIED.

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

2.

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

DELEGATION

3.

CAROL DAY REGARDING THE GARDEN CITY LANDS
(File No.:  12-8060-20-8303)

Ms. Carol Day advised that her submission (a copy is attached as Schedule 1 and forms part of these minutes) was a discussion of the Garden City Lands, and she drew Committee’s attention to the three requests outlined in her submission:

1.

contact the Canada Lands Company (CLC) and the Federal Government for the purpose to offer to purchase the entire Garden City lands for $10 million;

2.

abandon the application to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) to remove the Garden City lands from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR); and

3.

allow the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Canada Lands Company, the Musqueam and the City of Richmond to expire.

Ms. Day stated that the main reasons that informed her requests were: the City needs green space and/or parkland; the Garden City (GC) lands can provide a true legacy for generations to come; the GC lands would provide the ability to produce food; and that food needs are more important than land claims.

She stressed that it is critical to maintain the Garden City lands as land, and that in her opinion the GC lands should be protected from high-density development.

Further, Ms. Day remarked that the MOU is not a good deal for the City, and that the City should be prepared to fight for what the residents deserve.

Ms. Day concluded her remarks by stating that residents are becoming better educated about the GC lands issue, that people are proposing more creative ideas, and that innovative people are suggesting ways to use the land.

At the conclusion of the presentation, discussion ensued among Committee members and the delegation on Ms. Day’s requests of Committee, and in particular, on:

§            

the question of whether or not the ALR decision could be challenged in the courts;

§            

the importance some residents of Richmond place on this piece of land;

§            

the sensitive nature of the MOU and how realistic it is to let the Memorandum expire;

§            

the idea that the City could make its own offer to the CLC for the entire acreage;

§            

staff is working on a new application that will go to Council in December;

§            

members of the public have accessibility to the MOU in its entirety as it is published on the City’s website;

§            

the actual total number of park acreage the City is lacking at present;

§            

what effect, if any, the recent agreement struck between the Province and the Musqueam, will have on the Garden City land issue;

At the conclusion of the discussion, the following motion was introduced:

That the following three requests as outlined in the submission by Carol Day, a Delegate at the November 20, 2007 Planning Committee Meeting:

(a)

contact the Canada Lands Company and the Federal Government for the purpose to offer to purchase the entire Garden City lands for 10 million dollars;

(b)

abandon the application to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) to remove the Garden City lands from the Agricultural Land reserve (ALR);

(c)

allow the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Canada Lands Company, the Musqueam and the City of Richmond to expire,

be referred to outside legal counsel to obtain a legal opinion on the ramifications of Ms. Day’s three requests.

The question on the motion was not called, as discussion continued on this matter.  As a result, it was agreed that the following would be added as amendments to the referral motion:

That staff first learn the cost associated with outside legal opinion before submitting the three requests to outside legal counsel.

The question on the motion, as amended to read as follows:

That:

(1)

the following three requests as outlined in the submission by Carol Day, a Delegate at the November 20, 2007 Planning Committee Meeting:

(a)

contact the Canada Lands Company and the Federal Government for the purpose to offer to purchase the entire Garden City lands for 10 million dollars;

(b)

abandon the application to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) to remove the Garden City lands from the Agricultural Land reserve (ALR);

(c)

allow the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Canada Lands Company, the Musqueam and the City of Richmond to expire,

be referred to outside legal counsel to obtain a legal opinion on the ramifications of Ms. Day’s three requests; and

(2)

staff first learn the cost associated with outside legal opinion before submitting the three requests to outside legal counsel.

was then called, and it was CARRIED with Cllrs. McNulty and Howard opposed.

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

4.

APPLICATION BY CHUN WAH LAU FOR REZONING AT 9651 NO. 1 ROAD FROM SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING DISTRICT, SUBDIVISION AREA E (R1/E) TO SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING DISTRICT (R1/-0.6)

(RZ 07-379913 - Report:  October 31, 2007, File No.:  12-8060-20-8303) (REDMS No. 2289613, 2297877)

It was moved and seconded

That Bylaw No. 8303, for the rezoning of 9651 No. 1 Road from “Single-Family Housing District, Subdivision Area E (R1/E)” to “Single-Family Housing District (R1-0.6)”, be introduced and given first reading.

CARRIED

5.

APPLICATION BY SALINDRAN BHULLER FOR REZONING AT 10371 WILLIAMS ROAD FROM SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING DISTRICT, SUBDIVISION AREA E (R1/E) TO SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING DISTRICT (R1-0.6)

(RZ 07-369542 - Report:  November 5, 2007, File No.:  12-8060-20-8313) (REDMS No. 2294670, 2300186)

It was moved and seconded

That Bylaw No. 8313, for the rezoning of 10371 Williams Road from “Single-Family Housing District, Subdivision Area E (R1/E)” to “Single-Family Housing District (R1-0.6)”, be introduced and given first reading.

CARRIED

6.

MCLEAN AVENUE - PROPOSED TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES

(Report:  November 5, 2007, File No.:  10-6450-09-01) (REDMS No. 2286659)

In response to a query, Victor Wei, Director, Transportation advised that: (i) transportation staff monitors the effectiveness of newly installed traffic calming measures, and (ii) compares the data collected before the measures were installed with data collected after the traffic calming measures were installed.

Mr. Wei also advised that traffic lights are not being considered for the intersection of McLean Avenue and McRae Street, but they are being considered at Westminster Highway and McLean Avenue.

In response to a further query, Mr. Wei stated that transportation staff are looking at a variety of other traffic calming measures, such as roundabouts, and staff is being innovative in seeking options to traffic issues.

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That the concept of the following proposed traffic calming measures on the McLean Avenue, as described in the attached report, be forwarded to the area residents for feedback by means of mail-out questionnaires:

(a)

installation of a traffic circle at the intersection of McLean Avenue and McRae Street; and

(b)

installation of two speed humps, one each on McLean Avenue and McRae Street, at mid-way along the McLean Park frontage.

(2)

That staff proceed with the implementation of the proposed traffic calming measures immediately subject to the support of the area residents.

CARRIED

A question was raised with regard to the environmental sustainability of speed humps used as a traffic calming measure. Not only do speed humps create noise pollution, but when drivers slow their vehicles to approach a hump, then speed up, and then slow again for another hump, more gasoline is used by the vehicle, thus emitting carbon gases. As a result of the query, the following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That, with regard to traffic calming measures, staff investigate the use of speed humps and examine their use with regard to their effect on the environment.

CARRIED

A question was raised with regard to the City considering moving away from flashing lights to permanent traffic lights at the corners of MacLean/Westminster Highway and at Gilley/Westminster Highway:

It was moved and seconded

That the feasibility of establishing permanent traffic lights at the intersection of MacLean Avenue and Westminster Highway and at the intersection of Gilley Road and Westminster Highway, be investigated by staff.

CARRIED

7.

MANAGER’S REPORT

(1)

City Centre Area Plan (CCAP)

No report was given.

(2)

Steveston Study

No report was given.

(3)

Official Community Plan (OCP)

No report was given.

(4)

Liveable Region Strategic Plan Review (LRSP)

No report was given.

(5)

Demolition Permits

Questions were raised with regard to the status of the forthcoming bylaw to address building demolition permits. A brief discussion took place with regard to: (i) a minimum fee to demolish a building, (ii) the recycling of materials from demolished buildings, and (iii) the idea that demolition permits not be issued until after any necessary rezoning or a building permit and/or a development permit is approved. Concern was expressed that vacant buildings that should be demolished are sometimes left standing vacant and that this can create a problematic situation.

Terry Crowe,  Manager, Policy Planning advised that he would make John Irving, Director, Building Approvals, aware of Committee’s comments and that before December 4, 2007, Mr. Irving would submit a memo to Council outlining the status of the proposed demolition permit bylaw.

(6)

Proposed Development at 3900 Moncton Street, at the Southwest Corner of No. 1 Road

Committee expressed thanks to staff for submitting to the Mayor and Councillors: (i) a November 16, 2007 memo describing the proposed development at 3900 Moncton Street, (ii) the Development Application Data Sheet and, (iii) the elevations of the proposed building at 3900 Moncton Street.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:11 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Tuesday, November 20, 2007.

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Councillor Harold Steves
Chair

Sheila Johnston
Committee Clerk