December 17, 2019 - Minutes
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Planning Committee
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Date: |
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 |
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Place: |
Anderson Room |
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Present: |
Councillor Linda McPhail, Chair |
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Also Present: |
Councillor Chak Au |
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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 the order of the agenda would be varied to consider Item No. 3 last. |
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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 December 3, 2019, be adopted as circulated. |
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CARRIED |
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NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE |
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January 8, 2020, (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room |
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PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION |
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1. |
2019 Summary Report – Community Information Sessions on Development, Affordable Housing, Transportation and Sustainability in the City |
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Staff noted that (i) the Community Information Sessions provided information and consulted with the public on development applications and new policies and regulations, (ii) the sessions featured a drop-in Open House format, (iii) the sessions attracted 63 attendees across four events in different locations in the City, (iv) attendees were most interested in transportation and housing matters, (v) future events will be combined with other City efforts resulting in more community members with which to engage, (vi) the plan for future Community Information Sessions is two sessions per year, and (vii) Council will be kept informed of events in 2020. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That staff be directed to proceed with the Community Information Session Program for 2020 as described in the Staff Report titled “2019 Summary Report - Community Information Sessions on Development, Affordable Housing, Transportation and Sustainability in the City” from the Director, Development. |
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CARRIED |
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2. |
Agricultural Land Reserve Exclusion Application by JNA Holdings Inc. at 14540 Burrows Road; Agricultural Land Reserve Exclusion Application by Karl, Lydia & Ulrich Wacker at 14680 Burrows Road; and Agricultural Land Reserve Exclusion Application by Shorewood Developments Ltd. at 14920 Burrows Road |
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Staff reviewed the application and noted that this application is to exclude the three subject properties from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), and the proposal is inconsistent with the land use designation, the Official Community Plan (OCP), and the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy. |
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Colin Fry, Agent representing the Applicants, noted that (i) the Agricultural Land Commission’s responsibility is to determine whether the land is agriculturally capable and suitable for farming, (ii) all land in the ALR is not necessarily agriculturally viable, and (iii) the applicant has provided a fulsome application with expert reports prepared. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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(1) |
That authorization for JNA Holdings Inc. to forward an Exclusion Application to the Agricultural Land Commission for exclusion of 14540 Burrows Road from the Agricultural Land Reserve be denied. |
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(2) |
That authorization for Karl, Lydia & Ulrich Wacker to forward an Exclusion Application to the Agricultural Land Commission for exclusion of 14680 Burrows Road from the Agricultural Land Reserve be denied. |
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(3) |
That authorization for Shorewood Developments Ltd. to forward an Exclusion Application to the Agricultural Land Commission for exclusion of 14920 Burrows Road from the Agricultural Land Reserve be denied. |
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CARRIED |
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4. |
Application by Benn Panesar for Rezoning at 10931 Seaward Gate from the “Single Detached (RS1/E)” zone to the “Compact Single Detached (RC2)” zone |
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Staff reviewed the application and highlighted that (i) the applicant has proposed a secondary suite in each of the single-family dwellings, (ii) vehicle access will be from the existing rear lane, and (iii) one tree is to be retained and protected. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 10120, for the rezoning of 10931 Seaward Gate from “Single Detached (RS1/E)” to “Compact Single Detached (RC2)” to facilitate the creation of two new single-family lots with vehicle access from the existing rear lane, be introduced and given first reading. |
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CARRIED |
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3. |
Application by IBI Group Architects to Amend Schedule 2.10 of Official Community Plan Bylaw 7100 (City Centre Area Plan), Amend the Residential/Limited Commercial (RCL3) Zone, and Rezone 5740, 5760, and 5800 Minoru Boulevard from Industrial Retail (IR1) to Residential/Limited Commercial (RCL3) |
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Staff reviewed the application and highlighted that the proposed development will consist of (i) 333 market units, (ii) a stand-alone affordable housing building with 47 low-end-of-market units, (iii) affordable replacement non-profit space, (iv) a 7 metre (23 foot) wide strip along the Lansdowne Road frontage as a linear park, off-site works including the conversion of an existing lane to a local street, and (v) a provision of a low carbon energy plant to facilitate connection to a City district energy utility. |
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In reply to queries from Committee, staff noted that (i) city policy encourages affordable housing units to be dispersed throughout the building; however, in the event they are consolidated in one area it is required that a non-profit housing operator be involved in the management, (ii) an operator for the affordable housing units has not been identified, (iii) legal agreements ensure there will be a non-profit housing operator involved, (iv) space replacement for non-profit organizations will be like-for-like, (v) existing non-profit organisations will have the first right of refusal, (vi) net rental will be capped at 50% of net market rent, (vii) the development proposal includes more than triple the amount of current commercial space, (viii) the Richmond School District is consulted if there is an amendment to the OCP for additional residential units, (ix) summary sheets of current applications are provided to the Richmond School District on a quarterly basis, and (x) the applicant is providing the 10% requirement of affordable housing units. |
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Tony Wai, IBI Group Architects, Martin Bruckner, Director, IBI Group Architects, and Lu Tang, Senior Development Manager, Thind Properties Ltd., provided the following information: |
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various locations for the affordable housing units were discussed and it was determined that a stand-alone building was the best option; |
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non-profit social services space being provided is larger than requested by the organisation; |
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the property management company has been in contact with all the commercial tenants; |
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the 10% requirement for affordable housing was met; |
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amenity space will include a gym, party room, kitchen and board room; |
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the amenity space for the affordable housing building includes the same amenities as the market units with the details determined in conjunction with the non-profit housing operator; and |
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the developer is working with BC Housing and various other organizations to find a housing operator. |
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Janice Barr, Executive Director, Richmond Society for Community Living, advised that (i) non-profit organizations are struggling to find space in the City Centre, (ii) replacement space in the proposed development will be replaced square footage for square footage but will not include other necessary modifications for accessibility, (iii) two of the current programs have already been relocated to a space in Ironwood Plaza, (iv) cost for relocation and renovations to outfit the space for program needs was in excess of $200,000 with an additional developer contribution of $200,000, (v) non-profit organizations are finding it difficult to afford commercial space in the City Centre, and (vi) it is difficult for program participants to travel to locations outside of the City Centre due to transit restrictions and mobility restrictions. |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Ms. Barr noted that (i) ensuring people are integrated into the community is more beneficial than separating them, (ii) government funding does not increase and does not cover capital costs, and (iii) funding for renovations is achieved through fundraising efforts. |
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Robert Grosz made allegations of fraud in relation to the acquisition of the subject property. |
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Ahlay Chin, Founder and Executive Director, Community Wellness Association of Canada, expressed concern with obtaining a replacement space that is suitable for the program. |
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Michael Lok, Martial Arts Instructor, Lok’s Hapkido School, expressed concern with relocating outside of the City Centre, noting that it would significantly affect the school and families as accessibility would be difficult. |
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Aneez Devji, a partner of the law firm Richards Buell Sutton and counsel to the current owner of the property, responded to some of the allegations made by Robert Grosz. |
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In response to a further query from Committee, staff advised that the tenant relocation requirements are secured through the rezoning considerations and must be complete prior to final adoption. |
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Discussion took place on (i) increasing the affordable housing requirements, (ii) integration of affordable housing units throughout the proposed development, and (iii) finding appropriate space for displacement of businesses during redevelopment. |
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As a result of the discussion, the following referral motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the Application by IBI Group Architects to Amend Schedule 2.10 of Official Community Plan Bylaw 7100 (City Centre Area Plan), Amend the Residential/Limited Commercial (RCL3) Zone, and Rezone 5740, 5760, and 5800 Minoru Boulevard from Industrial Retail (IR1) To Residential/Limited Commercial (RCL3) be referred back to staff to: |
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(a) |
speak with the developer about integration of affordable housing units within the development; |
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(b) |
determine the non-profit housing operator; |
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(c) |
investigate the treatment of the tenants; and |
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(d) |
explore options to increase the affordable housing requirement to above 10%. |
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The question on the motion was not called, as there was agreement to deal with Parts (a) (b) (c) and (d) separately. |
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The question on Parts (a) (b) and (c) was called and it was CARRIED with Cllr. Loo opposed. |
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The question on Part (d) was called and it was CARRIED with Cllrs. Loo and McPhail opposed. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That staff explore options to increase the affordable housing requirement to above 10%. |
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CARRIED |
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5. |
MANAGER’S REPORT |
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BC Building Code update |
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Staff provided an update on the BC Building Code and noted that a report will come forward for Council consideration in the New Year. |
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ADJOURNMENT |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the meeting adjourn (5:47 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, December 17, 2019. |
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Councillor Linda McPhail |
Sarah Goddard |