A 25-unit building for women and children in Steveston was approved by city council with no vocal opposition at Monday’s public hearing.
This was despite early opposition to the project including a petition against the apartment building that will be managed by Turning Point Society.
But a 58-unit affordable rental building for seniors, on the other hand, faced vociferous opposition from nearby residents. This, however, in the end, was also approved by city council.
The Richmond Kiwanis Seniors Citizens Housing Society, in partnership with SD Railway Homes, wants to build the four-storey seniors rental apartment building on three single-family lots just north of Francis Road.
Monday’s public hearing was to change the designation from single-family homes to apartments in the Official Community Plan (OCP) and to rezone the property for low-rise apartments.
Melissa Lai, a resident of Calder Road just behind the proposed building, said as a “resident and owner” she had chosen to have her family at this location, with the thought that townhouses would be built on the site.
While she said she’s all for “housing support,” she was concerned about this proposed building being “right smack” behind her house.
Lai expressed concerns about her children’s health as 21 parking stalls are planned behind her house. She also noted balconies from the new building would be facing her house.
“Coun. McNulty said it’s about people – I’m a person who bought into this neighbourhood because I wanted to raise my family somewhere that was calm, somewhere that was safe, somewhere where I felt there was peace for them after certain hours so they could get rest and they can grow up,” Lai said.
Daphne Wong, a resident of the townhouse complex next door to the proposed building, said she was unaware of the proposed building until recently. Being next door, she said she’d be “directly impacted” by the building.
“I don’t think it’s the proper place to build a four-storey building there,” said Wong.
Irene Chang, who also lives on Calder Road, said she had four concerns: increased density, loss of sunlight, loss of privacy and parking issues.
Others, however, including De Whalen of the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition, and former council candidate Evan Dunfee as well as residents of the Kiwanis Towers in city centre, spoke in favour of the rental building.
In fact, Dunfee, who is an Olympic racewalker, said he’d just returned from Europe where such a building would be the standard.
He encouraged city council to find out how Kiwanis was able to secure this project and replicate it elsewhere including for other age groups.
“We need solutions like this everywhere,” he said.
Dunfee pointed out he lives in a building constructed in 1981 and it’s a “great community” where everyone looks out for each other.
“That’s what neighbourhood character is – not some vague esthetic,” he added.
In the end, all of city council supported the project and voted in favour of it.
Coun. Laura Gillanders pointed out she lives in a small house beside large houses that have been built later.
“We don’t own our views in perpetuity,” she said.
Gillanders said she felt density was needed in every neighbourhood, and she would support the project even if it wasn’t for seniors.
Twenty-nine of the units will be low-end market rentals (LEMR), and 29 will be market rentals but also affordable.
The apartment building, which will have studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites, will be earmarked for people aged 55 and older.
