Quick Burnaby council meeting included density discussions and goodbyes

It was the last meeting before the newly elected city council is sworn in, and this was a quick one.

The meeting started with Mayor Mike Hurley pausing to reflect on the death of Const. Shaelyn Yang.

“I’d like to begin tonight by addressing the tragedy which occurred in our community last week. On behalf of all city council and city staff, I want to express how devastated we are over the loss of RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang who was in the line of duty on Oct. 18. Shaelyn was just 31 years old and three years into her career with the Burnaby RCMP, and by all accounts she was a talented officer and a kind and compassionate person. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, fellow RCMP members, and our civilian staff during this terrible time,” he said. “Now more than ever we need to come together as a community and support each other.”

Staff then observed a moment of silence and reflection to honour Yang.

Tappin’ into TAP

In September, the planning and development committee went over its two-year review of the Tennant Assistance Policy (TAP), which included six recommendations for improvements. Currently, TAP applies to any renter in a building of five units or more who has been displaced by a development—for example, residents of a low-rise apartment building—which makes them eligible for a handful of benefits.

The Beacon’s Dustin Godfrey reported in detail about the review here.

The first recommendation to update TAP proposes that it be expanded to apply to purpose-built and secondary market rental buildings with less than five units.

The second recommendation involves compensation for caretaker units and suggests that caretakers who pay reduced rent in regard to their employment be granted moving compensation and a rental replacement unit in accordance with the Rental Unit Zoning Policy (RUZP), with rent for the replacement unit being based on average rent that tenants with similar unit types were paying in the building.

The third point involves a potential conflict of interest with the tenant relocation coordination position with a recommendation to add a clause clarifying that a caretaker, property manager, building manager, or superintendent cannot be appointed in the position.

Recommendation four looks at how heat and hot water should be compensated at the application site, and recommends the “gas” supplement established in BC Housing’s Monthy Heat Allowance rates be paid to tenants who are required to pay a separate hot water bill at the interim unit.

Staff also examined the lump sum option, which is available to residents who have found new accommodation (like buying a new property or moving out of BC) and don’t require rent, or those who want to opt-out of moving assistance and other compensation that requires ongoing communication with the city or the rezoning applicant.

The fifth recommendation proposes the lump sum option be available to any eligible tenant of new rezoning applications submitted on or after Jan. 1, 2023, and also be an option for those who want to opt out of TAP, as well as tenants who are part of in-stream rezoning projects to ensure they receive a compensation option that best meets the needs of their household.

Lastly, the city’s sixth recommendation involves a plain-language review to ensure the policy is accessible and avoids misinterpretation.

Vote check: The recommendations from the two-year review were carried and will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

Density and the developer

The rezoning bylaw amendment for the existing property at 7465 Griffiths Dr.—to build a multi-family residential building consisting of a high-rise strata tower with a low-rise rental building—raised concern for Coun. Colleen Jordan, particularly with the tower’s proposed height of 21-storeys

She also highlighted that this development would involve taking density from a city-owned property and transferring it to a private property without selling the land with it.

“[The city keeps] the land, but we just sell the density to the developer …?” she asked.

Staff noted that this was correct but it would involve the developer buying a “redundant right-of-way,” which contains infrastructure that needs to be maintained as well as improved with additions like rainwater amenities as part of the development.

“So it made sense for it to come back into city ownership as a lot rather than remain a right-of-way. They didn’t need the site area per se, they took the resulting density that came from it and consolidated it onto the one lot,” explained staff.

Jordan went on to question if the developer was getting the additional density without having to pay for the land itself, and asked if there was a financial loss to the city.

However, city staff explained that the density alone equates to the same value as the developer buying the entire city lot and there is “no financial gain to the applicant as a result of this transaction.”

Jordan went on to say that transferring the density would make the building “way too tall” for that area.

Vote check: Motion passed, with Jordan opposed.

Rapid-fire roundup

There will be two Remembrance Day ceremonies in Burnaby this year. In North Burnaby, the procession will start at the McGill Library and proceed to the Confederation Park Cenotaph. In South Burnaby, the parade will start at Fire Hall No. 3 on Bennet at Marlborough and proceed to the cenotaph at the corner of Nelson and Imperial.

Monday’s council meeting ended with Hurley giving a heartfelt thank-you to outgoing Couns. Colleen Jordan, Dan Johnston, and Mike Hillman.

Johnston and Jordan will be retiring from council after first being elected in 1993 and 2002 respectively. Hillman was not re-elected to council in this month’s municipal election.

Newly elected councillors and Hurley, who won by acclamation, will be sworn in at a ceremony at Michael J. Fox Theatre on Nov. 2.