A move to replace one of Steveston’s last remaining light industrial estates with single-family homes has infuriated local parents and business owners.
The City of Richmond recently received an application from a developer to rezone 12320 Trites Road — just southwest of No. 2 Road and Moncton Street — from light industrial to residential to allow 30 single-family units to be built.
Mike and Agnes Lewis, the owners of Generation Daycare, one of the eight businesses on the site, said they only found out about the plans by accident, after their monthly rent cheque wasn’t cashed.
It turns out, ownership of the property changed hands last month and when Mike and Agnes finally found out who the new property manager was, they were handed a notice to vacate in six months, along with the other tenants.
Generation Daycare has, for the last four years, provided before- and after-school care for around 50 families, whose children all attend nearby Homma elementary.
“We talked to our families last week and they’re furious. They’re questioning what Steveston and Richmond is coming to when they have little or no daycare options as it is,” said Mike on Monday.
“We’re completely shocked to hear this. We still want to operate but there is absolutely nothing available around here and the nearest we can get is Ironwood.”
Mike, who runs the daycare with his wife and three employees, said quality childcare is a precious commodity in Steveston and his facility is one of the very few places that offers school-age care.
“We walk the kids to school and back and we would have to rent buses or something if we had to move,” he added.
“That could cost upwards of $4,000 a month and that would have to be passed onto the customer. We’ve already had parents tell us that they would have to figure out other options.”
Kevin Skipworth, whose eight-year-old son attends the daycare, said there would be no options for childcare in Steveston if Generation went out of business or was forced to relocate.
“For me and my son to be able to walk to and from this place — I only live two blocks away and his mother lives in the village — is invaluable,” said Skipworth, who commutes to Downtown Vancouver every day.
Skipworth added that he was curious as to why an eviction notice was given to the tenants so far in advance of any official decision to rezone by the city.
Single mom Jen Schaeffers, whose six-year-old daughter goes to Generation, also works in Vancouver and says the prospect of having to go all the way across Richmond for pick-up and drop-off of her child is “virtually impossible.”
“I have another drop-off/pick-up at my son’s preschool around the corner from Generations,” she told the News via email.
“I did email with the City of Richmond right after we found out that it was being closed, and it is disturbing that no real plans seem to be in place for essential services (like childcare) as the densification in the area continues.
“Also, it still seems unclear when the community consultation is actually happening for that area.
“They keep putting up more and more family townhomes and apartments and are knocking out childcare services. Where are we all supposed to put our kids?”
“It’s going to be a huge issue if they have to move the daycare to the other side of Richmond.”
Another parent who uses the daycare, Carolle Bruce, said she was “deeply upset” when she heard the news.
“Something must be done when a business like (this) — which serves the community — is forced to shut its doors with little recourse,” said Bruce.
“Will the city or developers lease him an alternate, nearby location until they can rebuild a new daycare property in the same location in a couple of years? He’s being priced out because any suitable location within walking distance to the school is prohibitively expensive without some sort of subsidy, discount or relief.”
Bruce said her son, James, 8, is “distraught” about the whole thing.
“His reaction was ‘first my bike park and now Generation...doesn’t anyone care about kids?’” added Bruce, referring to the loss a few years ago of the bike terrain park at No. 2 and London roads, which was razed for a condo development.
“He used to spend almost every evening and weekend biking there — first in his strider bike as a toddler, then with training wheels and then eventually on his ‘big boy’ bike.”
On March 3, a Matt Stogryn submitted a rezoning application to the city for 30 single-family homes on the site.
It’s unclear how he’s connected to the numbered company that owns the site. The site’s new property management firm, Vancouver-based Warrington PCI Management, would only confirm that all the tenants have been given six month’s notice to vacate and that the owner intends to demolish the site.
The city confirmed that an application to rezone the site has been received but is in the very early stages.
“There is no timeline for when the application may advance to planning committee,” said spokesperson Kim Decker via email.
“The proposed land use is consistent with the City’s Official Community Plan, the Steveston Area Plan and the Trites Area Land Use Plan,” she added.
Nevertheless, planning committee member Coun. Harold Steves said the rezoning is far from a formality.
“Historically, council has supported such rezonings, but I’ve opposed many and it’s likely I’ll oppose this one, if it’s along the lines being indicated,” said Steves, who said he would be sorry to see an automotive business move out of Steveston, given the car trouble he was having this week.
“We shouldn’t lose any more industrial land and the Trites Road industrial park has some much-needed services for the people that live around there.”
As for the plan being consistent with the city’s OCP and local area plan, Steves said it “doesn’t change my view at all and I voted against London Landing.
“This is the last place of its kind in the Trites area that can offer these kinds of services and I remember we were thrilled when we learned there was going to be a daycare here a few years ago.
“It’s highly likely I will be challenging this.”
Coun. Linda McPhail, planning committee chair, although noting she isn’t yet aware of the application, highlighted a “couple of issues.”
“The whole thing around childcare is an issue, and it’s one of our priorities (on city council),” she said.
“The other is the loss of industrial land, which is a concern, especially if businesses are having to relocate to other parts of the city and the community is losing its services.
“Nothing is cut and dried, however, and each application will be considered on its own merits,” McPhail noted.
