To stratify or not to stratify?
This was the debate at Richmond city council on Monday as they look to implement provincial legislation that could significantly densify single-family neighbourhoods.
City staff was recommending new pre-zoning of single-family lots “restrict tenure of additional dwelling units to rental,” something that would align with Richmond’s “objectives to build more rental housing.”
Coun. Alexa Loo, however, brought forward an amendment to allow stratification. If stratified, a property owner could then sell off the extra units they build.
Loo said she didn’t think developers would be incentivized to build if only rental were allowed.
“Nobody’s going to touch this with a 10-foot pole,” she said.
On the social media platform X, the provincial housing minister, Ravi Kahlon, linking to Richmond city staff recommendation for rental only, encouraged all cities to “allow stratification of 3-4plexes as they update (their) bylaws & not restrict homes to rental only.”
In the end, the majority of city council voted to allow stratification if property owners build three to six units on their now-single-family lots.
Couns. Carol Day and Michael Wolfe voted in opposition.
'Very heavy-handed' legislation: Coun. Andy Hobbs
City council must pass the new pre-zoning bylaws by June 30 to densify single-family neighbourhoods as mandated by the provincial government.
If city council doesn’t make the changes, the province will have the power to override municipal bylaws.
Some city council members expressed their displeasure at the province mandating municipal zoning, with Wolfe saying it's an “injustice to our processes” and Coun. Andy Hobbs calling it “very heavy-handed."
In Richmond, 25,803 properties will be affected. If they were fully built out with the maximum number of units, it would add 100,000 homes to the city.
City staff went on to note this provincial legislation has “effectively reduced local autonomy in land use decision making,” and the tight deadline has disrupted city work such as updating the Official Community Plan (OCP) that normally guides development in the city.
The provincial Bill 44 was passed last fall. This will affect all municipalities with more than 5,000 residents.
City council asked staff to do some analysis of the implications of stratification before next Monday’s city council meeting when the new bylaws are expected to be finalized.
Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected]. To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter.
