This week at city council, topics such as home sizes on the ALR, the city’s cannabis regulations and secondary suites in duplexes are on the agenda.
Richmond's city council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, May 14 in council chambers at 6911 No. 3 Rd. The public is welcome to attend or watch an online broadcast of the meeting. Here’s a deeper look at these three agenda items:
Home sizes on the ALR
In March, after more than two hours of hearing from more than 30 delegations on the issue of further limiting home sizes on Richmond’s agricultural land reserve, council voted to send the matter back to staff for further review. One of the matters to be reconsidered? Secondary homes on properties.
Last Monday, at a general purposes committee meeting, councillors voted to not only keep the maximum farmhouse size at the current 10,764 sq. ft., but also to allow an additional house to be built on the land without rezoning. The motion was supported by Couns. Alexa Loo, Chak Au, Ken Johnston, Linda McPhail and Derek Dang, but opposed by Mayor Malcom Brodie and Coun. Harold Steves.
After months of debate and multiple council meetings, council is expected to come to a decision on the matter at this Monday’s meeting. They will not only decide on what size to limit ALR homes to, but also whether or not allow secondary units without rezoning.
Cannabis regulations
As the federal government prepares to legalize marijuana, Richmond is considering some of its own regulations. A staff report suggested several items, including a request to the B.C. government to impose a temporary prohibition on the use of lands in the ALR for cannabis production.
Richmond city councillors have long opposed marijuana facilities on farmland for a number of reasons, including a concern that growing pot will limit other produce. Instead, council believes cannabis facilities should be built on industrial land.
However, this conflicts with proposed provincial regulations, which consider the production of marijuana on ALR acceptable.
This request, along with other suggestions in the staff report, was approved by councillors at the general public meeting Monday afternoon. Now, city council will vote on whether or not submit this request to the provincial government.
Secondary suites in duplexes
Currently in Richmond, secondary suites are not a permitted in any zones that allow duplexes. However, in 2007, secondary suites became permitted in all single-family zones in 2007. This was an opportunity to address housing affordability issues and to provide more housing options.
Across the city, there are approximately 547 duplexes at the moment. Now, city staff are requesting that secondary suites in these and future duplexes be allowed.
Some possible benefits outlined by staff include providing increased opportunities for affordable rental housing within existing single-family neighbourhoods, providing homeowners the option to utilize rental suites (secondary suites) as mortgage helpers and may provide incentive for property owners to retain existing duplexes, rather than pursue demolition and redevelopment.
With files from Daisy Xiong
