WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017
City asks $5.5M for rezoning DAISYXIONG Staff Reporter
DXIONG@RICHMOND-NEWS.COM
What’s inside:
NEWS: Public wants TransLink to explore late night train service 3
R
n It’s the most hectic time to travel and Richmond’s snowy forecast is poised to only make it worse. With a 40 per cent chance of wet snow and flurries expected Thursday — one of the busiest travel days of the year — airport officials are likely prepping for busy taxiways, runways and social media mentions a’plenty. As many as 83,000 people are expected to stream through Vancouver International Airport on Dec. 21, up from the usual holiday average of 78,000. If Thursday is anything like Tuesday morning’s snowfall, expect for some flights to be delayed or outright cancelled. Travellers were reporting up to five-hour delays due to late baggage, fuel issues and de-icing procedures, despite the airport having fully-staffed snow operations and crews working to deice aircraft and clear snow.
ichmond city council has decided $5.5 million is the sum developer Onni Group needs to contribute towards community amenities in order to have its Steveston boardwalk site rezoned from mixed maritime use to commercial use. Council also turned down the company’s proposal to donate a portion of that total to local groups as part of the deal. Councillors, except for Couns. Chak Au, Harold Steves and Carol Day, voted in favour of the proposed amount at the public hearing Monday night. The $5.5 million is the increased value assessed by consultant Richard Wozny, who was hired by the city and who spoke at the public meeting to support this assessment. Onni, however, stuck to its $4.75 million offer made at the last public meeting , which is the midpoint of the increased value assessed by the city’s and Onni’s consultants. Coun. Bill McNulty, who proposed the amount, said he is pleased with the decision. “...we have a consultant who gave this his best shot, analysed it, and he is one of the most recognized consultants in North America; he said that it is fair,” said McNulty. “If we don’t make a decision tonight, we will never make a decision. I think we have to do it,” he added. Day, however, said she is very angry about the result. “It’s a joke; it’s an embarrassment,” said Day. “The amazing village and community we wanted to see… it’s all gone. What have we got? $5.5 million. I think we have short-changed the people of Richmond.” In a letter to council, Onni president Rossano De Cotiis said the company will not offer more than $4.75 million for community amenities but will make a donation of $250,000 each to Richmond Hospital Foundation and the Steveston Historic Society, as part of the deal. This was strongly opposed by a number of councillors, including McNulty who said bringing third parties into the discussion was “an unethical way to do business.” See McNulty page 3
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