Plans to expand a Buddhist temple - which have rubbed neighbours the wrong way for nine years - may soon be back in front of city council.
This time, however, the Lingyen Temple on No. 5 Road's "Highway to Heaven" is seeking community input before submitting any fresh rezoning application to city hall.
Over the last couple of months, a planning consultant working on behalf of the temple has conducted a phone survey and an open house to once again gauge what's burning the local community's skin with regard to the project.
According to consultant Gary Pooni, of Brook Pooni Associates, the majority of people in the area are more willing to accept the expansion if the proposed height dropped down from 140 to 100 feet and the taller buildings were place at the back of the property.
Traffic and parking issues are also still a bone of contention with the locals.
And both the height and traffic concerns will, said Pooni, be reflected in a new draft proposal, which is expected to be shown to the public before the summer and before being submitted to city hall.
"We wanted to ask the neighbourhood first as there is obviously a lot of questions about the temple," said Pooni, referring to the phone survey conducted by Stratacom, which randomly canvassed an area bound by: No. 4 Road to the west; Highway 99 to the east; Kingsbridge to the north and the Fraser River to the south.
"We found the community was quite sympathetic and, provided certain things were dealt with, the acceptance levels went up."
According to the results, 51 per cent of those surveyed would accept a height of 100 feet (a 2.5-storey increase) or higher for the main building.
The survey found the remaining 49 per cent would be more accepting if the height increase was at the back of the property and restricted to symbolic or localized elements, rather than the building itself.
Another 80 or so people attended last week's open house, where further input was collected.
Near neighbour and local activist Carol Day, who has led the opposition to the expansion from the outset, left the open house with mixed feelings.
"I went there really hopeful that they would build under 100 feet, but I get the feeling they want to go higher," said Day.
"I still don't understand why they don't stick to the 84-feet bylaw. I was optimistic they would stick to the bylaw, but I was told at the open house that 'bylaws change all the time.'"
The temple will come forward with a "much more modest proposal" added Pooni.
In 2010, the City of Richmond asked the temple's architect to temporarily withdraw the application after the city decided to launch a comprehensive review of its No. 5 Road Backlands Policy. The policy allows assembly uses, including religious institutions, to locate on property within the Agricultural Land Reserve in an area sandwiched between No. 5 Road and Highway 99.
