The province is granting the City of Richmond a six-year extension on rezoning parts of Steveston for higher density.
After the province passed Bill 44, which allows densification in single-family neighbourhoods, Richmond city council asked for an extension in Steveston where they say infrastructure upgrades need to be done.
The city asked for a pause on rezoning requirements for the area between Steveston Highway and Chatham Street and No. 1 Road and Seventh Avenue.
The city is planning to spend $9 million over the next five years to upgrade the sewers in Steveston.
The province announced on Monday that Richmond would get its requested extension, with Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon saying an independent engineering company reviewed the request and confirmed it was a “challenge.”
Furthermore, Kahlon said he met with the mayor and city staff on Monday, and it appears 11 properties in Burkeville, that would have been rezoned high-density with up to eight-storey towers, “does make sense” to exclude.
“Generally, mayor and council made a good point on those 11 properties,” Kahlon told the Richmond News.
The 11 properties were within 800 metres - as the crow flies - of the Aberdeen Canada Line Station, but, in reality, were about a two-kilometre drive from the station. Transit-oriented areas are being earmarked for densification up to eight storeys high.
Richmond city council, including Mayor Malcolm Brodie, have criticized the province for forcing densification, which over-ride municipal zoning plans.
While the City of Richmond has allowed densification in certain areas, Kahlon said if this were sufficient, “the reality is if that were the case, we wouldn’t be in a housing crisis."
He noted New Zealand introduced similar legislation and has seen “positive outcomes” in its housing situation.
He added, having the new zoning rules in place will free up municipal staff time to put their resources “to better use.”
Bill 44 affected the zoning of about 27,000 properties in RIchmond.
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