Richmond’s “Highway to Heaven” is dotted with religious institutions, and council is looking this week to change its land-use bylaw to ensure it stays that way.
Currently, the bylaw uses the term “community institutional” to define what can be built on the No. 5 Road strip, but council's planning committee will consider changing the wording to read “religious institutional” uses.
Furthermore, if other changes proposed by city staff are approved, no more schools will be allowed on the Highway to Heaven - there are currently five religious schools.
This follows an application by Pythagoras Academy, an elite private school in central Richmond, to build a 10-acre educational campus and school. Their plan included an organic farm in the 20-acre backland portion of the property. Council turned down the application, and the school has stated it plans to challenge this decision.
The “backlands policy” allows institutions on the front of the properties – located within the Agricultural Land Reserve – as long as the back of the property is farmed.
The property where Pythagoras Academy wanted to build a school, at 9500 No. 5 Rd., is currently owned by Komodo Holdings. The property was bought for $22.5 million in 2018; its assessed value is $8.5 million.
The committee is also looking at tightening up rules around dormitories and child care institutes on the Highway to Heaven.
