January 29, 2025 - Minutes

Time:

3:30 p.m.

Place:

Remote (Zoom) Meeting

Present:

Milton Chan, Director, Engineering, Chair

Kirk Taylor, Director, Real Estate Services

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 January 15, 2025 be adopted.

CARRIED

1.

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 22-023117

 (REDMS No. 7844080)

APPLICANT:

Wayne Fougere

PROPERTY LOCATION:

9511 Granville Avenue

INTENT OF PERMIT:

To permit the construction of a 12-unit townhouse development at 9511 Granville Avenue on a site zoned “Town Housing (ZT105) – North McLennan (City Centre)”.

Applicant’s Comments

Wayne Fougere, Fougere Architecture Inc., 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, highlighting the following:

§   

the project consists of four three-storey townhouse buildings in two, three and four-unit clusters;

§   

prior to Rezoning Bylaw adoption, the northern portion of the site will be voluntarily transferred to the Richmond School District and consolidated with the Henry Anderson Elementary School to the north of the subject site;

§   

the proposed vehicle and pedestrian access to the subject site is from Granville Road through a shared driveway on an easement located on the adjacent townhouse development to the east (9533 Granville Avenue);

§   

the project includes two convertible units which are centrally located, with one of the convertible units providing a secondary suite and a surface parking stall for the secondary suite;

§   

on-site accessible pedestrian paths of travel are provided for residents and visitors;

§   

the project provides 23 resident parking spaces and three visitor parking stalls, including one accessible parking space;

§   

resident and visitor bicycle parking spaces are provided on the site; 

§   

the common outdoor amenity space includes covered seating and children’s play equipment, among others;

§   

the existing trees on the neighbouring property to the west will be retained and preserved through maintaining existing grades around the trees;

§   

the architectural design of the proposed townhouse buildings is consistent with the neighbouring townhouse developments; however, contrasting colours and texture are proposed to create a unique identity for the proposed development; and

§   

the proposed development has been designed to achieve Energy Step Code Level 3 and Emissions Level 4 in the Zero Carbon Step Code and includes a number of environmental sustainability features.

Donald Duncan, DVSD Development Consultant Landscape Architect, with the aid of the same visual presentation, briefed the Panel on the main landscape features of the project, noting that (i) maintaining the site grading around trees and cantilevering portions of the garage floor slab of an adjacent proposed building in close proximity to a retained tree are proposed to ensure the preservation and protection of trees identified for retention, (ii) appropriate landscape treatments are proposed for different areas on the site, (iii) permeable paving is proposed for the internal drive aisles and visitor parking spaces, (iv) in addition to the retained trees, dense planting of native species and an ornamental streambed are proposed along the west side yard, (v) the proposed planting materials will provide all-season interest, (vi) lighting is proposed at key locations around the subject site including, among others, at building entries, side yards, and adjacent to the children’s play area, and (vii) lighting will be directed to desired locations to avoid light spillover into neighbouring properties.

Staff Comments

Joshua Reis, Director, Development noted that (i) the application includes the voluntary transfer of 392 square metres of the north portion of the site to the adjacent land owned by the Richmond School District which has been secured as a condition of Rezoning Bylaw adoption, (ii) access to proposed development will be provided through the existing townhouse development to the east, (iii) the applicant and the neighbouring strata have confirmed that they have reached an agreement on cost sharing and maintenance of the shared access, (iv) the project includes one secondary suite and two convertible units, (v) four on-site trees are proposed to be retained and protected, (vi) the proposed landscaping for the site includes, among others, the planting of 21 new trees which is over and above the 19 trees that had been proposed at the rezoning stage, and (vii) there is a Servicing Agreement required prior to Building Permit issuance for the project that includes frontage improvements along Granville Avenue including removal of the existing driveway letdown and construction of a new two-metre sidewalk and treed boulevard, and servicing connections.

Panel Discussion

In reply to queries from the Panel, the applicant confirmed that (i) four on-site trees will be retained in addition to the existing trees on the adjacent property to the west, (ii) the two convertible units will incorporate accessibility features consistent with the City’s Convertible Unit Guidelines and are designed with provision for future installation of a stair lift if desired, (iii) directional lighting will be installed on the subject site to avoid light spillover into adjacent properties, (iv) the northern portion of the subject site that will be transferred to the Richmond School District will be levelled and fenced by the applicant, and (v) two bicycle parking spaces will be provided in the garage of each townhouse unit and three visitor bicycle parking spaces are proposed in the east side yard near the common outdoor amenity area.

Correspondence

None.

Gallery Comments

None.

Panel Discussion

The Panel expressed support for project and appreciated the clear presentation of the project, the design of the project, and the voluntary transfer of the northern portion of the site to the Richmond School District.

Panel Decision

It was moved and seconded

That a Development Permit be issued which would permit the construction of a 12-unit townhouse development at 9511 Granville Avenue on a site zoned “Town Housing (ZT105) – North McLennan (City Centre)”.

CARRIED

4.

New Business

None.

5.

Date of Next Meeting:  February 12, 2025

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (3:50 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 29, 2025.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Milton Chan

Chair

Rustico Agawin

Committee Clerk