January 15, 2025 - Minutes

Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Remote (Zoom) Meeting

Present:

Wayne Craig, General Manager, Planning and Development, Chair

Roeland Zwaag, General Manager, Engineering and Public Works

Marie Fenwick, Director, Arts, Culture and Heritage

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel held on December 11, 2024 be adopted.

CARRIED

1.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 18-842750

 (REDMS No. 7847267)

APPLICANT:

Richmond Auto Mall Holdings Ltd.

PROPERTY LOCATION:

Smallwood Place, Parkwood Way and Parkwood Crescent

The Chair advised that Item 1 was removed from the agenda and will be added to a future Development Permit Panel meeting.

2.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 21-944022

 (REDMS No. 7839314)

APPLICANT:

Coast Construction

PROPERTY LOCATION:

18840 River Road

INTENT OF PERMIT:

To permit the construction of a single-family dwelling at 18840 River Road on a site zoned “Agriculture (AG1)” and designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA).

Applicant’s Comments

Czar Villanueva, ATA Architectural Design Ltd., with the aid of a visual presentation (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 1), provided background information on the proposed development located on a site designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), highlighting the following:

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the property at 18840 River Road, majority of which is designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), is proposed to be developed and improved to include a lavender farm, a farmhouse, a barn and an ESA compensation area;

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the proposed farm home plate will be located within an area designated as an ESA and will contain the proposed two-storey single-family dwelling (farmhouse) with one secondary suite, an open carport and a septic tank;

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the proposed vehicular access to the site will be from River Road through the existing driveway;

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the farm home plate will be setback by 21.4 metres from the front (north) property line and its elevation will be raised to accommodate and address future City dike infrastructure upgrades along River Road including a future dike height increase;

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the proposed barn will be used for lavender processing operations and parking area for machineries;

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the slim, narrow and rectangular design of the farmhouse building and the barn will allow for the creation of view corridors from the future elevated dike to the lavender farm; and

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the proposed locations for the lavender farm and the ESA compensation area are supported by an environmental assessment of the subject site.

Daniel McAllister, Ecologic Consultants, briefed the Panel regarding the proposed ESA compensation and restoration area and the proposed scheme to enhance the ecological function of the site to compensate for the encroachment of the farm home plate into the designated ESA, noting that (i) there was placement of fill on the site in the past except on the proposed location of the ESA compensation and enhancement area at the back of the property, (ii) a comprehensive baseline inventory of the site indicated that the proposed ESA compensation and enhancement area currently provides habitat to birds, bats and small mammals, (iii) the proposed ESA compensation and enhancement scheme includes the removal of invasive plants and planting of native coniferous and deciduous trees, shrubs, and grasses, among others, (iv) 50 percent of trees and shrubs proposed to be planted will be fruit-bearing to promote biodiversity in the area, (v) 10 to 25 percent of trees to be planted will be conifers to maximize the survivability of trees to be planted in fall, (vi) planted trees will be monitored to ensure their survival, (vii) a Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) will supervise the planting to ensure plants are installed and spaced appropriately, and (viii) the existing native tree species within the ESA compensation and enhancement area will be retained if possible.

Staff Comments

Joshua Reis, Director, Development noted that (i) the farm home plate has been setback from River Road to accommodate future diking infrastructure upgrades, (ii) the applicant has proposed an area of over 3,700 square metres at the south end of the site for the ESA compensation and enhancement area to compensate for the encroachment of the proposed single-family building and associated structures within the farm home plate into an ESA designated area, (iii) the proposed ESA compensation area will be enhanced through planting with a mixture of native shrubs and trees, (iv) no enhancements are proposed within the Riparian Management Area (RMA) along River Road as this area will be used for future diking improvements, (v) the proposed lavender farm and the barn structure are not part of the subject ESA Development Permit (ESA DP) application as it is limited only to the single-family dwelling and associated structures within the farm home plate, and (vi) the subject site includes a hooked property located south of the Railway Right-of-Way which is not intended to be farmed or subject to any ESA enhancements or improvement.

Panel Discussion

In reply to queries from the Panel, the applicant noted that (i) the proposed landscaping for the farmhouse will not be significant and gravel surface treatment is proposed around the barn, (ii) the proposed lighting for the farmhouse and the barn will be directed away from their adjacent properties, (iii) permeable limestone is proposed for the driveway from River Road to the carport of the farmhouse and gravel surface treatment is proposed for further access to the lavender farm, (iv) the elevation of the fill areas on the subject site associated with the lavender farm and the driveway through the RMA at the front of the subject property would consider the future diking upgrades along River Road  to ensure consistency and compliance with Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) fill regulations, (v) a septic field for the septic tank will be provided adjacent to the carport within the farm home plate, (vi) the proposed ESA enhancement scheme for the site includes the removal of invasive plant species and planting and retention of suitable native shrubs and trees, among others, within the ESA compensation area, (vii) the proposed ESA restoration and enhancement measures would  enhance the wildlife features of the ESA, provide suitable habitat for birds, bats and amphibians currently observed in the area, and significantly improve the ecological function of the area.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

Michaela Lynn, 18740 River Road, queried about (i) the applicant’s odour management plan to control and mitigate odour coming from lavender processing operations on the site, (ii) the number and size of trucks accessing the site to support farm operations, and (iii) the extent and location of the farm access gravel driveway past the farmhouse driveway.

In reply to Ms. Lynn’s queries, the applicant noted that (i) the lavender processing operations will be done inside the barn which will be designed to be airtight to prevent and/or mitigate odour coming out from the barn, (ii) large trucks are not anticipated to access the site due to the small size of the farming area and associated farming operations on the site, and (iii) the potential location of the farm access driveway would likely be between the farmhouse and the barn past the proposed farmhouse driveway and will not be in close proximity to the adjacent property to the west.

Panel Discussion

The Panel expressed support for project, noting (i) the ESA compensation measures proposed by the applicant as part of the subject application, and (ii) the applicant’s approach to focus ESA compensation and enhancement measures in areas that currently provide some habitat function.

With regard to the landscaping on the farm home plate and ALC fill requirements for the subject site, staff were directed to work with the applicant to (i) investigate opportunities to extend the planting of native species within the farm home plate, and (ii) clarify the process to be followed with respect to fill requirements and permissions from the ALC prior to the application moving forward to Council for consideration.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued to permit the construction of a single-family dwelling at 18840 River Road on a site zoned “Agriculture (AG1)” and designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA).

CARRIED

4.

New Business

None.

5.

Date of Next Meeting:  January 29, 2025

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:05 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Development Permit Panel of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

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Wayne Craig

Chair

Rustico Agawin

Committee Clerk