May 5, 2015 - Minutes
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Planning Committee
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Date: |
Tuesday, May 5, 2015 |
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Place: |
Anderson Room |
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Present: |
Councillor Linda McPhail, Chair |
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Call to Order: |
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. |
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The Chair advised that Fraser Surrey Docks and Vacant Homes will be considered as Items No. 5A and No. 5B. |
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MINUTES |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, be adopted as circulated. |
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CARRIED |
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NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE |
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Wednesday, May 20, 2015, (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room |
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DELEGATION |
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Raman Kooner, representing the Richmond Small Builders Group, spoke of the proposed changes to Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, in relation to maximum ceiling height and building massing. He expressed concern with respect to the City applying proposed height and massing regulations to current permit applications and the need for further stakeholder and community consultation. |
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Discussion ensued with regard to in-stream building applications and current building massing and ceiling height regulations. |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Joe Erceg, General Manager, Planning and Development, noted that (i) should Committee wish to discuss the interpretation of the bylaw, that discussion should occur in a closed meeting given potential legal implications, (ii) he is not aware of any building permit application that was refused as a result of proposed bylaw amendments, (iii) staff are seeking more information regarding building design from applicants, and (iv) staff will report back regarding building massing and ceiling height regulations in June 2015 after further consultation with stakeholders. |
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Discussion ensued with regard to (i) current architectural designs of single-family dwellings, (ii) previously adopted zoning bylaws, and (iii) the interpretation of current zoning bylaw regulations. |
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As a result of the discussion, staff were directed to collect contact information from stakeholders present at the meeting. |
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COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION |
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1. |
Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 9246 to Permit the City of Richmond to Secure Affordable Housing Units located at 10440 and 10460 No. 2 Road (Polygon Kingsley Estates Ltd.) |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That Bylaw No. 9246 be introduced and given first, second, and third readings to permit the City to enter into a Housing Agreement substantially in the form attached hereto, in accordance with the requirements of s. 905 of the Local Government Act, to secure the Affordable Housing Units required by the Rezoning Application 13-649524. |
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CARRIED |
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PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION |
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2. |
Response to Council Referral – Parking Concerns in Vicinity of 11700-block Seaton Road |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Victor Wei, Director, Transportation, advised that (i) there is a three-hour limit for non-resident vehicle street parking along resident frontages, (ii) the three-hour on-street vehicle parking limit applies to all areas of the city, and (iii) enforcement of the three-hour limit is primarily on a complaint basis. |
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As a result of the discussion, staff were directed to advise residents of the City’s on-street vehicle parking regulations by placing an advertisement in the City Board section of the local newspaper. |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Mr. Wei advised that a resident may only report parking violations along their home’s frontage. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the staff report titled Response to Council Referral – Parking Concerns in Vicinity of 11700-block Seaton Road, dated April 28, 2015, from the Director, Transportation be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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3. |
Application by Amrik S. Sanghera for Rezoning at 7331 Williams Road from Single Detached (RS1/E) to Compact Single Detached (RC2) |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 9206, for the rezoning of 7331 Williams Road from “Single Detached (RS1/E)” to “Compact Single Detached (RC2)”, be introduced and given first reading. |
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CARRIED |
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4. |
Application by Trico Developments (B.C.) Inc. for Rezoning at 3600/3620 Blundell Road from Two-Unit Dwellings (RD1) to Single Detached (RS2/B) |
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Wayne Craig, Director, Development, briefed Committee on the proposed application noting that there is an existing duplex on-site and that the proposed application is supported by the area’s lot size policy. |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Mr. Craig advised that that the section of Blundell Road, adjacent to the subject site, is not considered to be an arterial road; therefore there are no restrictions on residential on-street parking and there are no vehicle parking requirements for secondary suites. He added that, in addition to vehicle parking space in the garage, there will be vehicle parking space on the driveway of the proposed development. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 9207, for the rezoning of 3600/3620 Blundell Road from “Two-Unit Dwellings (RD1)” to “Single Detached (RS2/B)”, be introduced and given first reading. |
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CARRIED |
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COUNCILLOR HAROLD STEVES |
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5. |
Port Metro Vancouver |
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Councillor Steves referred to a map of Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) lands (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 1) and discussed the historical conversion of said lands in the city to other uses. |
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As a result of the discussion, staff were directed to provide Richmond delegates of the upcoming Lower Mainland and Local Government Association (LMLGA) conference with historical information related to (i) the conversion of ALR lands to industrial lands since 1956, and (ii) land exchanges made in the 1960s involving the Garden City Lands, Richmond Nature Park and various waterfront lands. |
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Discussion then ensued with regard to the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) and the amount of industrial land available in the region. |
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As a result of the discussion, staff were directed to consult with Metro Vancouver staff on any updates to the RGS related to industrial land in the region. |
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Discussion then took place regarding Council meeting with Port Metro Vancouver’s Board of Directors to discuss land matters. |
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As a result of the discussion, the following motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That Council meet with the Port Metro Vancouver Board of Directors regarding land matters. |
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CARRIED |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the letter dated April 30, 2015 from Port Metro Vancouver be referred to staff for a response. |
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CARRIED |
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5A. |
Fraser Surrey Docks |
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Discussion ensued with regard to a proposal from Fraser Surrey Docks to use cargo ships instead of barges to transport coal along the Fraser River. Concern was then raised with regard to the size of the ships and the potential negative effects of proposed dredging along the Fraser River. |
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It was then noted that Fraser Surrey Docks was accepting public feedback on the proposal until May 19, 2015 and in reply to queries from Committee, Amarjeet Rattan, Director, Intergovernmental Relations and Protocol Unit, advised that staff is in the process of collecting information on the matter and will update Council accordingly. |
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Discussion then ensued with regard to the proposed dredging of the Fraser River. Referring to a letter from Councillor Day (attached to and forming part of these minutes at Schedule 2) it was noted that dredging could pose negative effects along the Fraser River, such as erosion and liquefaction. |
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As a result of the discussion, the following referral was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That staff prepare a response to the request for public feedback from Surrey Fraser Docks and report to the May 11, 2015 Council meeting. |
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CARRIED |
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5B. |
Vacant Homes |
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Discussion ensued with regard to vacant homes in the city and newspaper articles from Metro News, dated April 26, 2015 and the Vancouver Sun, dated April 27, 2015, were referenced (attached to and forming part of these minutes at Schedule 3), which reported proposals from the City of Vancouver to track vacant homes. |
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As a result of the discussion, the following referral was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the articles from Metro News, dated April 26, 2015 and the Vancouver Sun, dated April 27, 2015, referencing proposals from the City of Vancouver to track vacant homes be referred to staff for comment. |
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The question on the referral was not called as discussion ensued with regard to (i) the definition of vacant homes, (ii) potential actions the City can take to address vacant homes, and (iii) best practices from the City of Vancouver. |
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The question on the referral was then called and it was CARRIED. |
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6. |
MANAGER’S REPORT |
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Proposed Hamilton Area Rezoning |
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Terry Crowe, Manager, Policy Planning, briefed Committee on a potential proposal from a land owner to rezone a light industrial site to multi-family residential use in the Hamilton area. |
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In accordance with Section 100 of the Community Charter, Councillor McPhail declared herself to be in a conflict of interest as her husband has business interests in the subject area, and left the meeting (4:45 p.m.). |
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Councillor McNulty, Planning Committee Vice-Chair, assumed the role of Chair in Councillor McPhail’s absence from the meeting. |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Mr. Crowe noted that staff are not in favour of the potential proposal as it does not conform with the Hamilton Area Plan or the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy. He added that there could be additional similar rezoning proposals in the area, which could potentially further reduce the amount of industrial land in the city. |
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Discussion ensued with regard to the rezoning application process and staff were directed to inform the potential applicant of the relevant Hamilton Area Plan policies and regulations related to rezoning. |
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Councillor McPhail returned to the meeting and assumed the role of Chair (4:50 p.m.). |
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ADJOURNMENT |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the meeting adjourn (4:51 p.m.). |
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CARRIED |
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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, May 5, 2015. |
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Councillor Linda McPhail |
Evangel Biason |