More crime, more parking problems and more traffic – that’s what residents of the Azure Road area think will come with if a 330-unit rental building is constructed in their neighbourhood.
More than a dozen people – residents from the area - spoke against the proposed rental project at Monday’s city council public hearing.
Only one person, Evan Dunfee, who ran unsuccessfully for council in Saturday’s election, urged the mayor and councillors to approve it.
Dunfee pointed out the census shows there are fewer children in Richmond now than in 2001, saying Richmond “is not working for young families.”
With more than 50 per cent of the units having two bedrooms or more, this will attract "desperately needed young families to Richmond,” he said.
“Someone should get to advocate for them because they’re who we want here,” Dunfee added.
The residents also spoke against the high density of the project – 330 units where there are currently 50 townhouses – as well as privacy issues.
The property was originally zoned for low-density townhouses.
Much of the rest of the neighbourhood is single-family homes, many built in the 1960s, but others were built more recently with large square footages and valued between $2 million and $3 million.
Several construction sites dot the neighbourhood.
Many residents brought up the traffic and parking in the area, pointing out hospital staff park in the neighbourhood while they’re at work, and that the streets and curvey and dangerous.
One resident, David Stewart, who lives in the area, said he’s not opposed to rental, but he didn’t like the amount of density coming to the neighbourhood. He claimed areas in east Vancouver where there are lots of rentals are “full of crime.”
In response to some residents saying they want their neighbourhood to stay quiet and peaceful, Dunfee further questioned why most affordable housing is on busy streets rather than in residential areas.
“Where is their peace and quiet?” he asked, adding, “This type of housing belongs everywhere in a world-class city.”
In the end, the project was approved – with Couns. Chak Au, Carol Day and Michael Wolfe voting against it – but with a plan to consult with the neighbourhood on the parking and other issues they brought up at the meeting.
Coun. Harold Steves was particularly concerned at the suggestion by the opponents to the project that crime would increase if the rental buildings were built.
Arguing in favour of the project, Steves said if this project was delayed – as suggested by Au – there would be another argument against it next month.
Furthermore, he said if this isn’t approved, the same arguments will come up all over Richmond for different projects.
“I find it really disturbing to hear that having low-end market (rental) housing is going to increase the crime rate in the area,” Steves said.
As for the parking problems in the area - and the suggestion the 330 units would add to them - Steves suggested either street parking should be banned all together or there should be residents-only parking in the area. He noted the medical building to the west of the project has a large pay parking lot that is often half empty, available to people who need to park.
Au suggested referring the project back to city staff to look at the residents’ concerns, something Coun. Michael Wolfe supported. Wolfe also suggested city staff ask the developer to reduce the size of the project, which could possibly save a grove of 10 mature trees.
Neither of these referrals were supported by the majority of city council.
