Date:

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Place:

Anderson Room

Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Bill McNulty, Chair

Councillor Greg Halsey-Brandt, Vice-Chair

Councillor Sue Halsey-Brandt

Councillor Harold Steves

Absent:

Councillor Linda Barnes

Call to Order:

The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

1.

SONUS DEVELOPMENTS FERNDALE LTD. HAS APPLIED TO THE CITY OF RICHMOND FOR PERMISSION TO REZONE 9611 FERNDALE ROAD FROM SINGLE DETACHED (RS1/F) TO TOWN HOUSING (ZT58) – NORTH MCLENNAN (CITY CENTRE) IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A 40 UNIT TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH 9560 AND 9620 WESTMINSTER HWY AND 9571 FERNDALE ROAD.

(File Ref. No.:  RZ 09-483465) (REDMS No. 2819169)

In response to a comment from Committee regarding the applicant’s decision to provide no indoor amenity space, but to make a cash-in-lieu payment, staff advised that Council would be provided with a memorandum detailing how cash-in-lieu payments are used.

Staff provided information regarding: (i) two-car garages at grade and in a tandem configuration; (ii) a variance requirement at the Development Permit stage to permit a tandem parking configuration for a townhouse development; and (iii) street parking on Birch Street when it is constructed to its full width.

It was moved and seconded

That Bylaw No. 8587 for the rezoning of 9611 Ferndale Road from “Residential – Single Detached (RS1/F)” to “Town Housing (ZT58) – North McLennan (City Centre)”, be introduced and given first reading.

CARRIED

2.

APPLICATION BY AJIT THALIWAL AND RAJ UPPAL FOR REZONING AT 9531 NO. 1 ROAD FROM SINGLE DETACHED (RS1/E) TO COMPACT SINGLE DETACHED (RC2)

(File Ref. No.:  RZ 09-499790) (REDMS No. 2852358)

In response to a query, staff confirmed that there is an existing operational rear lane.

It was moved and seconded

That Bylaw No. 8593, for the rezoning of 9531 No. 1 Road from “Single Detached (RS1/E)” to “Compact Single Detached (RC2)”, be introduced and given first reading.

CARRIED

3.

APPLICATION BY PETER WALIA FOR REZONING AT 10140 RUSKIN ROAD FROM SINGLE DETACHED (RS1/B) AND SINGLE DETACHED (RS1/E) TO SINGLE DETACHED (RS2/B)

(File Ref. No.:  RZ 09-499265) (REDMS No. 2855701)

It was moved and seconded

That Bylaw No. 8594, for the rezoning of 10140 Ruskin Road from “Single Detached (RS1/B)” and “Single Detached (RS1/E)” to “Single Detached (RS2/B)”, be introduced and given first reading.

CARRIED

4.

HOUSING AGREEMENT BYLAW NO. 8539 TO PERMIT THE CITY TO ENTER INTO A HOUSING AGREEMENT TO SECURE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS- 9371 & 9411 ALEXANDRA ROAD

(File Ref. No.:  06-2280-30-021/Vol 01, 12-8060-20-8539/8494)(REDMS No. 2859655)

Lesley Sherlock, Social Planner, introduced Committee to Dena Beno, the temporary Affordable Housing Coordinator.

It was moved and seconded

That Bylaw No. 8539 be introduced and given first, second and third readings to permit the City, once Bylaw No. 8539 is adopted, to enter into a Housing Agreement substantially in the form attached hereto, in accordance with the requirements of a s. 905 of the Local Government Act to secure the Affordable Housing Units required by Rezoning application 08-410760 and the associated Bylaw No. 8494.

CARRIED

5.

MANAGER’S REPORT

(1)

11251 Kingfisher Drive

Joe Erceg, General Manager, Planning and Development, advised that no building permit has yet been issued, as staff is awaiting the arrival of a new set of plans from the owner of the lot.

(2)

Proposed Night Market in the Hamilton Neighbourhood

Mr. Erceg advised that the Planning and Development Department has received a referral from the City of New Westminster regarding a night market proposed for the Starlight Casino site in the Hamilton neighbourhood. Staff in a variety of departments, including Richmond Fire Rescue, the Richmond Detachment of the RCMP, Development Applications, and so on, are reviewing the referral thoroughly before it goes forward to Council.

The Chair requested that staff particularly examine the impact a night market would have on parking on Hamilton streets.

(3)

Building Activity

Mr. Erceg reported that in the first three months of 2010 staff saw a dramatic increase in revenues as a result of increased building activity. Planning and Building staff are busy, particularly with single-family building permits, and staff has also seen an increase in (i) multi-family building permits, and (ii) other large projects.

Brian J. Jackson, Director of Development, commented that the Urban Development Institute (UDI) has reported an increase in development and building activity, and UDI and City staff cannot predict what impact on activity the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) programme will have when it is introduced on July 1, 2010.

(4)

Small Builders

Mr. Erceg stated that in recent weeks Planning staff has met on three separate occasions with small builders who conduct business in the City, to discuss application processing times, servicing, and the tree bylaw, among other issues. Staff has prepared a bulletin that provides tips such as how to retain bylaw size trees while meeting the requirements of the flood plain bylaw.

(5)

Assembly Lands in West Richmond

Terry Crowe, Manager, Policy Planning, advised that staff has consulted with West Richmond property owners of religious buildings and has invited these parties, as well as representatives of UDI, to meetings to discuss the issues and land use change options. 

(6)

Official Community Plan (OCP)

Mr. Crowe reported that the OCP process continues, and that staff is conducting background work on the OCP, including a demographic study, how to manage Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs), an employment land study with mapping, and a transportation modelling study.

(7)

Development of Structures on the South Side of Westminster Highway East of No. 6 Road

As a result of the Chair’s remark that he was aware of a home with a large footprint being constructed on the south side of Westminster Highway, a discussion ensued with regard to: (i) staff’s awareness of this and other structures constructed along Westminster Highway; (ii) the progress made by staff on two referrals from Committee relating to the size of houses; (iii) and a forthcoming report from an ad hoc committee investigating the implications of non-farm use related structures, including septic fields, built on an agricultural zoned property.

Further discussion ensued regarding the composition of an ad hoc committee tasked to examine house size issues and septic field issues, and advice was given that Roland Hoegler and Dr. Jan Knapp had joined the committee in the capacity of “observers”. Mr. Jackson added that a report addressing house sizes and septic fields would come forward to committee in June, 2010.

(8)

Rezoning Application by Wal-Mart

Mr. Jackson advised that Wal-Mart has indicated to staff that it would proceed to pre-load their property, despite staff’s advice that Wal-Mart wait until Council had given its rezoning application first, second and third readings.

In response to a request from Committee, Mr. Jackson advised that in the context of the staff report on the application, he would report on the fill issue.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:33 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 Wednesday, April 7, 2010.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Bill McNulty

Chair

Sheila Johnston

Committee Clerk