More than 700 Richmond residents and community members have signed a petition against the development of a storage facility near London Landing.
Residents in the London Landing area of Steveston are fighting a Jim Pattison Enterprises’ proposal to build a two-story commercial self-storage facility at the south end of No. 2 Road.
Three residents spearheading the petition handed in an inch-thick binder filled with names, letters and alternative solutions for the industrial piece of land to the Richmond City Hall on Wednesday.
However, because the current zoning on the lot allows self-storage buildings, a public hearing isn’t required before a development permit can be issued.
Resident Scott Douglas, one of three people handing the petition, said the “open piece of industrial land” has “become a historical legacy of the fishing industry” and is no longer being used for its intended purposes anymore.
“For many years, the lot was used for people in the fishing industry to store their nets, skiffs and related equipment,” said Douglas.
“(The lot) has an owner who wishes to redevelop it, with an expressed interest in doing residential, and most importantly … has our quality mixed-use village’s main streets growing up around it.”
Residents of London Landing have consistently expressed that they would prefer more housing rather than a warehouse in the area.
“This isn’t a NIMBY issue because, in fact, we want development on this site, just not a storage facility,” said Douglas.
“We’d rather have a mixed-use development in a neighbourhood where folks can live, work play and shop.”
In June, residents signed a letter circulating in the London Landing community, which was also forwarded to the City of Richmond.
