January 20, 2026 - Minutes

Date:

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Bill McNulty, Chair
Councillor Alexa Loo
Councillor Carol Day
Councillor Andy Hobbs

Absent:

Councillor Chak Au

Also Present:

Councillor Michael Wolfe (by teleconference)

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 January 6, 2026, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

AGENDA ADDITIONS

The Chair advised that Development Cost Charges (DCC) Rates be added to the agenda as Item No. 3A and Hamilton Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) be added to the agenda as Item No. 3B.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

1.

Application by Vancouver Coastal Health Authority for a Temporary Commercial Use Permit at 5768 Minoru Boulevard

(File Ref. No. TU 25-029652) (REDMS No. 8257148)

Discussion ensued regarding (i) the capacity of the current parkade and the proposed temporary parking spaces, (ii) additional parking for staff at lots on Alderbridge Way and Elmbridge Way, which were introduced last year, and (iii) the proposed shuttle service to transport Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) staff to and from Richmond General Hospital, operated between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., with secure parking at the subject site continuing to be available to VCH staff outside of these hours.

Jo-Ann Tait, Vice President, Richmond Community Services, VCH, advised that (i) the surface parking lot on hospital grounds will remain and (ii) staff are currently permitted to park in the parkade and any of the surface lots from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m., with visitor parking being prioritized between 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Further discussion ensued regarding (i) the need for additional staff parking during peak periods, (ii) staff transitioning towards green transportation options, such as carpooling and participation in the VCH Transit Subsidy Program, (iii) assessing current and projected parking demand at Richmond General Hospital, (iv) prioritizing on-site parking for patients and visitors,   (v) permitting parking as a temporary use for a period of up to three years, and (vi) coordination among Alliance Partners, including VCH and construction teams, to establish construction scheduling and sequencing.

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That the application by Vancouver Coastal Health Authority for a Temporary Commercial Use Permit for the property at 5768 Minoru Boulevard, to allow “Parking, non-accessory” as a permitted use, be considered for a period of three years from the date of issuance; and

(2)

That this application be forwarded to the February 17, 2025, Public Hearing at 5:30pm in the Council Chambers of Richmond City Hall.

CARRIED

The following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That staff obtain information from Vancouver Coastal Health regarding the size of their workforce, current and projected parking needs, and planned parking development, and report back.

The question on the referral motion was not called as discussion ensued regarding current and projected parking needs, with staff advising that (i) the ultimate design for the new hospital has not yet been finalized, and as a result, parking provision for the redevelopment cannot yet be determined and (ii) City staff meet with the project team on a bi-weekly basis, and as this is a design-build project, a substantial design has not yet been developed and building permit applications have not yet been submitted.

The question on the referral motion was then called and it was CARRIED.

2.

Richmond Youth Advisory Committee 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Work Program

(File Ref. No. 07-3425-01) (REDMS No. 8248798)

Committee expressed gratitude to staff for their work with the Youth Advisory Committee.

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That the Richmond Youth Advisory Committee's 2025 Annual Report, as outlined in the report titled "Richmond Youth Advisory Committee 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Work Program", dated December 19, 2025, from the Director, Community Social Development, be received for information; and

(2)

That the Richmond Youth Advisory Committee's 2026 Work Program be approved.

CARRIED

3.

Richmond Social Development Advisory Committee 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Work Program

(File Ref. No. 08-4055-01) (REDMS No. 8225073)

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That the Richmond Social Development Advisory Committee's 2025 Annual Report, as outlined in the report titled "Richmond Social Development Advisory Committee 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Work Program", dated December 19, 2025, from the Director, Community Social Development, be endorsed; and

(2)

That the Richmond Social Development Advisory Committee's 2026 Work Program be approved.

CARRIED

COUNCILLOR BILL MCNULTY

3A.

Development Cost Charges (DCC) Rates

(File Ref. No.) (REDMS No )

The following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That staff investigate the impact of freezing of the current DCC rates in the short and long term, and report back in three months.

The question on the referral motion was not called as discussion ensued regarding (i) the impact of the City's 1% municipal assist factor compared to the 50% assist factor, (ii) fees dependent on unit size, jurisdiction, and other factors, and (iii) the consultation timeline, with results and any potential bylaw updates to be brought forward for Council consideration in the coming months.

In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that (i) to date, there has been no decision with respect to changing the City’s DCC bylaw, (ii) the City has been using a 1% municipal assist factor at least the last two decades,    (iii) the City has undergone major reviews of the DCC program over the last few years, including proposed DCC Program and Amenity Cost Charges Program being endorsed as the basis for public consultation, and (iv) DCCs are used to fund City-wide infrastructure needed to support development, and that if these charges are not applied to new development, the costs would need to be covered by another funding source, such as the existing tax base or Provincial or Federal funding.

The question on the referral motion was then called and it was CARRIED.

3B.

hamilton environmentally sensitive areas (ESA)

(File Ref. No.) (REDMS No )

The following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That staff investigate the current ESA designations of the townhouse designated properties on the west side of Boundary Road from Westminster Highway to Thompson Road, to Highway 91, and report back.

The question on the referral motion was not called as discussion ensued regarding (i) the approximate number of properties within the subject area, including ones that may have an ESA designation or partial ESA designation and (ii) looking at the process of reviewing ESAs and the outstanding referral that looks at potentially removing ESA designations from private properties.

The question on the referral motion was then called and it was CARRIED.

4.

MANAGER’S REPORT

(i)

Proposed Revisions to the BC Building Code

Staff advised that proposed revisions to the BC Building Code, scheduled for implementation in March 2026, include the following: (i) acceptance of a wider range of approved building materials, assemblies and design solutions based on the Federal Government’s Construction Materials Center assessments, rather than mandatory testing, (ii) an alternate path to compliance for the development of secondary suites, (iii) new criteria for materials in structural engineering design to improve safety, (iv) additional guidance for seismic assessments and solutions for seismic upgrades and retrofits of existing buildings, and (v) revised energy efficiency step code criteria for smaller houses in colder climates.

(ii)

2026 Lulu Awards for Urban Design

Staff advised that the City of Richmond's Lulu Awards, which are held every four years and recognize, celebrate and inspire excellence in urban design in the City of Richmond, are now live, with the submission period for the 2026 awards running from January 13 to March 31, 2026. Private and public sector projects are eligible, and anyone may nominate a project.

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, January 20, 2026.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Bill McNulty
Chair

Shannon Unrau
Legislative Services Associate