The City of Richmond is in the final stages of determining how it will terminate contracts for roughly 4,000 single-family home lots that are currently not subject to city zoning — an issue that has resulted in developers being able to build three-storey homes.
Until now, the homes have been dictated by provincial land-use contracts, (LUCs) but last year the province passed legislation to allow cities to terminate those contracts.
Recently, Richmond city council reduced the height of all new homes to nine metres. It also tweaked various zoning regulations pertaining to setbacks. However, the changes only applied to homes under city zoning.
As such, the 4,000 properties that remain outside of the controls of the city have allowed for the proliferation of three-storey homes throughout neighbourhoods.
City planners are putting forth new bylaws to terminate the contracts. City council has approved the process and is now heading to a public hearing on Nov. 24 where residents can voice their support or opposition to the changes.
If a property owner objects to the termination of such a contract, claiming it will cause “hardship,” he/she will be able to apply, for $650, to the Board of Variance. The board (consisting of volunteer members from the community) is expected to draw up a set of guidelines to determine what constitutes “hardship.”
Terminating LUCs could hurt property values as the property would then be subject to size restrictions. However, LUC properties do not allow secondary suites and city bylaws do.
“Sounds like a fair trade off,” said Coun. Harold Steves at a planning committee meeting last week.
There is to be no financial compensation for early termination of the contracts, which will expire in 2024, regardless.
If the contracts are terminated by city council, there will be a one year grace period for new zoning to take effect.
Notably, the public hearing methodology has been amended per council's approval; while normally public hearings allow for speakers to address council for 10 miniutes, the LUC public hearing will only allow speakers to speak fo five minutes. This is intended to expedite what is expected to be a long process.
