Dear Editor,
Re: “Council ponders upping the rental quota,” News, Nov. 29
The above article regarding the Richmond Centre redevelopment project shared different views on the need for market rental unit. However, the discussions at the public hearing seems to fail to acknowledge other difficult hurdles affiliated with the redevelopment.
The zoning was previously approved. The council’s request to increase the market rental quota from five per cent to 10 per cent is technically doubling the previous expectation. It is a right first step for the city towards solving the housing crisis in Richmond.
The truth is, by adding 2,100 new dwelling units in Richmond city centre, the redevelopment will be adding additional pressure and concerns to the Richmond downtown core that needs to be negotiated as part of the overall application.
For example, there is no concrete plan to expend the roads around the redevelopment to improve traffic. The redevelopment has no plan to introduce new sidewalks, bike lanes or a bus loop. The green space introduced for the 2,100 dwelling units is also minimal. The current redevelopment project will introduce unnecessary but foreseeable problems for our future generates.
Asking for 50 per cent market rental units will compromise the willingness of the developer to address other issues. I, personally, intended to hold the new council accountable to the promises made during the election. However, Richmond also needs our elected officials to have a comprehensive understanding of the current situation and fight for the overall betterment of our community.
Henry Yao
RICHMOND
