Date:

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Place:

Anderson Room

Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Bill McNulty, Chair

Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt, Vice-Chair

Councillor Chak Au

Councillor Harold Steves

Absent:

Councillor Linda Barnes

Also Present:

Councillor Linda McPhail

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, January 17, 2012, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

Tuesday, February 21, 2012, (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room

COMMUNITY  SERVICES DEPARTMENT

1.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY: 2012 ANNUAL REVIEW OF INCOME THRESHOLDS AND AFFORDABLE RENT RATES

(File Ref. No. ; REDMS No. 3454334)

In response to queries Dena Kae Beno, Affordable Housing Coordinator, advised that: (i) Richmond has nine occupied affordable housing units at present: (ii) occupied affordable housing units depend on the development cycle of each development project; and (iii) staff expects that the bulk of occupied affordable housing units will come forward in 2013.

In response to Committee’s request, Ms. Kae Beno advised that she would prepare, and submit to Council, a memo with updates regarding information such details as the number of affordable housing units that have been built in Richmond, among other details. 

It was moved and forwarded

That amendments to the Richmond Affordable Housing Strategy dated May 9, 2007, as amended, (the “Richmond Affordable Housing Strategy”) as outlined in Attachment 1 of the report dated January 10, 2012 from the General Manager of Community Services entitled “Affordable Housing Strategy: 2012 Annual Review of Income Thresholds and Affordable Rent Rates”, be approved as Addendum No. 3 to the Richmond Affordable Housing Strategy.

CARRIED

2.

2012 – 2015 RICHMOND INTERCULTURAL STRATEGIC PLAN AND WORK PROGRAM

(File Ref. No.) (REDMS No. 3427629

Discussion ensued among Committee, Alan Hill, Cultural Diversity Coordinator, and David Purghart, Chairperson, Richmond Intercultural Advisory Committee (RIAC), and Richmond RCMP representative to RIAC and especially with regard to:

·          

the Intercultural Advisory Committee can encourage ESL classes across the community, but has no mandate to provide ESL classes;

·          

after Council approves the strategic plan and work program, staff will submit it to the School Board; and

·          

new immigrants can learn from the mainstream culture, and the mainstream culture can learn from new immigrants.

A brief discussion ensued with regard to the value of intercultural events at community centres and schools.

It was moved and seconded

That the 2012-2015 Richmond Intercultural Strategic Plan and Work Program (Attachment 1) be approved.

CARRIED

As a result of the discussion regarding the value of intercultural events, the following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That staff develop a plan to implement an annual Richmond Day Festival as an occasion to bring the Richmond community together to celebrate cultural diversity as well as Richmond’s heritage. 

CARRIED

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

3.

APPLICATION BY JAGTAR & SHINGARA KANDOLA FOR REZONING AT 10580 RIVER DRIVE FROM SINGLE FAMILY (RS1/D) TO SINGLE DETACHED (RS2/C)

(File Ref. No. 12-8060-20-8849, RZ 11-594227) (REDMS No. 3417674)

It was moved and seconded

That Bylaw No. 8849, for the rezoning of 10580 River Drive from “Single Family (RS1/D)” to “Single Detached (RS2/C)”, be introduced and given first reading.

CARRIED

4.

APPLICATION BY ROBERT KIRK FOR REZONING AT 11291 WILLIAMS ROAD FROM SINGLE DETACHED (RS1/E) TO COMPACT SINGLE DETACHED (RC2)

(File Ref. No. 12-8060-20-8852, RZ 11-587549) (REDMS No. 3424625)

In response to a query, Brian J. Jackson, Director of Development, advised that when an applicant comes forward staff does not set out a preference for, or against, the inclusion of a secondary suite, but staff finds that in two thirds of the cases, applicants build a secondary suite, while in one third of the cases, applicants submit cash in lieu.

It was moved and seconded

That Bylaw No. 8852, for the rezoning of 11291 Williams Road from “Single Detached (RS1/E)” to “Compact Single Detached (RC2)”, be introduced and given first reading.

CARRIED

5.

TELECOMMUNICATION ANTENNA CONSULTATION AND SITING PROTOCOL

(File Ref. No. 08-4040-01) (REDMS No. 3443379)

Mr. Jackson provided background information and noted that the staff report reflected a balance between the controls Council wishes to have regarding the siting of telecommunication antennas versus Federal regulations.

Discussion ensued between Committee and staff and in particular on:

whether the health department was part of the consultation process;

the siting protocol has to comply with height regulations outlined by the Vancouver Airport Authority;

Federal authority is paramount on regulating telecommunications over local zoning powers; and  

a school board can object to an antenna on land adjacent to school property, but cannot regulate the land use of the surrounding properties.

Further discussion ensued with regard to an email (on file in the City Clerk’s Office) from Michelle Khong, stating concern on long-term health of residents from the siting of antenna.

Committee directed staff to: (i) review Ms. Khong’s email; and (ii) submit a memo to Council regarding the email’s content, before the Monday, February 13, 2012 meeting of Council.

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

The proposed Telecommunication Antenna Consultation and Siting Protocol be adopted as a Council Policy to guide the City’s review of telecommunication antenna proposals and to facilitate commenting to telecommunication antenna proponents and Industry Canada under the Federal Radiocommunication Act as set out in the staff report entitled “Telecommunication Antenna Consultation and Siting Protocol” dated January 18, 2012;

(2)

Staff be directed to prepare the proposed amendments to Zoning Bylaw 8500 as set out in the above staff report for future consideration by Council; and

(3)

Staff be directed to prepare an amendment to Development Application Fee Bylaw 7984 to include an application fee to cover the cost of processing applications under the proposed Telecommunication Antenna Consultation and Siting Protocol as set out in the above staff report for future consideration by Council.

CARRIED

5A.

COUNCILLOR EVELINA HALSEY-BRANDT

Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt referenced a February 6, 2012 article in the Vancouver Sun newspaper (on file in the City Clerk’s Office) and noted that a Burnaby-based religious group is negotiating with urban farmers to put approximately three acres of unused agricultural land under crops this spring.

Discussion ensued among Committee regarding Richmond’s No. 5 Road Backlands Policy, and the following comments were made: (i) that staff, when they review the policy, ascertain whether agricultural activity is real or not on the backlands of No. 5 Road properties; and (ii) in light of the developers of the former Fantasy Gardens site giving the City park space at that site, will other No. 5 Road property owners provide the City with access to their backlands.

Further discussion ensued between Committee and staff, and especially regarding: (i) the timing of the review of the No. 5 Road Backlands Policy; and (ii) the involvement of the City’s Finance staff in the review process.

6.

MANAGER’S REPORT

No manager’s reports were given.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:40 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, February 7, 2012.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Bill McNulty

Chair

Sheila Johnston

Committee Clerk