A Richmond resident was pleading with city council to get builders and developers to be “good neighbours” and keep their sites safe and clean.
Kerry Starchuk, speaking at Monday’s city council meeting, highlighted problems with homes being built on the cul-de-sac where she lives, saying construction noise extends beyond permitted hours, the sites are messy and dangerous – sometimes with unfenced holes dug into the ground – and there are language barriers between residents and workers.
Starchuk said she’s not against new houses, rather she told council she’s opposed to “construction chaos, the noise, the poor manners, poor workmanship, the unsightly work sites, the time it takes to build a house, the lack of respect from the trades/developer, breaking the bylaw(s), putting neighbours at risk, safety and frustration on not (being) able to communicate with many on the site due to language barriers.”
Starchuk is also concerned about large-scale changes to Richmond, saying she thinks Richmond is losing its “charm,” and cited a book by Global reporter Sam Cooper, Wilful Blindness, which identified drug money being laundered through the casino in Richmond and through real estate.
However, she said residents expressing concern about the city changing is nothing new, referencing documents from the city archives about concerns already in 1996 about the changing character of Richmond.
“It’s long overdue, council, to listen to the public and don’t sweep Richmond’s complex challenges under the rug,” Starchuk said.
The current “Good Neighbour Program” for in-fill construction, developed in conjunction with the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association, has several requirements for construction companies. This includes informing nearby residents of construction plans, keeping the site, roads and sidewalks clean, respecting permitted construction hours and noise regulations and refraining from blocking driveways, streets and lanes.
Starchuk further asked city council to add items like closing the gates at the end of the day, having a start and end date for construction – for example, one year – and making sure the site is safe.
Coun. Linda McPhail pointed out the city receives many complaints about construction sites, and she said she’d like to see some data on how issues have been resolved.
“I do believe there are some good builders and there are those few who aren’t so good, and I think that’s what we hear about,” McPhail said. “I think they give the industry a bad name.”
In response to Starchuk’s suggestions, city council asked staff to whether the Good Neighbour Program could be improved.
