Richmond Planning Committee considers strata conversion and gas station rules at November 17 meeting
Richmond's Planning Committee meets Tuesday to review a strata title conversion for a new infill building on Fairdell Crescent and proposed changes to service station rules in the City's zoning bylaw.
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Richmond's Planning Committee meets on Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room at City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road. Two planning items are on the agenda: a strata title conversion for a new infill building on Fairdell Crescent, and a proposed change to the City's rules for service stations. Both items come to the committee for first reading and a recommendation to Council.
Strata conversion at 8760 Fairdell Crescent
The main housing item is an application from Kabel Atwall to convert the new infill building at 8760 Fairdell Crescent to strata title. The application is filed as SC 26-017199 and relates to Building Permit B7 25-020392.
A strata title conversion changes a building from a single land title to multiple separate titles, one for each unit. Under BC law, a municipality must approve the conversion. Without it, units in a building can be rented but cannot be individually owned and sold.
The Planning Committee is being asked to give first readings to two bylaws that together enable the conversion. The first is Richmond Official Community Plan Bylaw 9000, Amendment Bylaw 10808. It redesignates the Fairdell Crescent properties from "Arterial Connectors Tier 1" to "Neighbourhood Residential Tier 1" and makes administrative updates to Section 3.2, "Build Better Housing," covering strata conversions of small-scale multi-unit housing. The second bylaw makes the site-specific changes needed to allow the conversion itself.
The agenda also introduces a new City Council Policy on strata title conversion applications involving small-scale multi-unit housing, which would govern how Richmond processes similar applications in the future. The staff report setting out the policy is REDMS No. 8576822, with designated speakers Andrew Norton and Alexander Costin. The full text of the policy will be available at citycouncil.richmond.ca after the meeting.
The new council policy on strata conversions of small-scale multi-unit housing would apply to future applications of this type across Richmond. It is intended to give applicants and residents a clear set of rules for when and how a new infill building can be stratified after it is built. The policy will be posted to citycouncil.richmond.ca once council adopts it.
Four conditions must be met before the strata plan can be registered:
- A flood indemnity covenant must be placed on the land title.
- The final inspection for Building Permit B7 25-020392 must be completed.
- All utility charges and property taxes must be paid to the year of conversion.
- The strata plan must be submitted within 180 days of council's approval, which would mean by mid-May 2027 if council approves the application in November.
The flood indemnity covenant reflects Richmond's location in the Fraser River delta, where flooding is a long-term risk. Such covenants are a standard condition on new construction near the floodplain.
Service station zoning clarification
The second item is Amendment Bylaw 10806, which would update Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to clarify the rules for service stations in the Gas and Service Station zone, designated CG2. The changes cover site-specific commercial zones near residential areas as well.
The amendment specifies that vehicle servicing and repair must be "primarily for sale to members of the general public" and sets requirements for service bays, customer access points, and fencing where service stations sit next to homes. The purpose is to make the City's existing intent clear and consistent with how the zone has been applied. Designated speakers are John Hopkins and Emily Huang, and the file reference is 08-4000-01, REDMS No. 8556607.
The Planning Committee is being asked to give the bylaw its first reading and to recommend it to Council for adoption. If adopted, the amended bylaw would apply to any new service station application or renewal in the CG2 zone and related commercial areas.
Housing promises and what this means
Councillor Carol Day campaigned on a promise to advocate for zoning bylaws that allow gentle density for affordable ownership and rental housing. The Fairdell Crescent strata conversion creates individually owned units in a new infill building, adding ownership options in an established neighbourhood.
Mayor Rob Howard has a campaign promise to find new ways to make housing more affordable in Richmond. First readings do not decide an outcome; they open a bylaw for public scrutiny. The final vote at Council follows if the committee recommends approval. You can follow both promises at the Richmond promise tracker.
What comes next
The Planning Committee meets Tuesday, November 17 at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room at Richmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road. The meeting is open to the public. The full agenda is available at citycouncil.richmond.ca.
Recommendations from the Planning Committee go to Richmond City Council for a final vote. Council meetings are listed at citycouncil.richmond.ca. Residents who want to comment on either item can speak at the Planning Committee meeting on November 17 or contact City Hall at 604-276-4000.
Questions this story answers
When and where is the Richmond Planning Committee meeting on November 17?
The Planning Committee meets on Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room at Richmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond. The meeting is open to the public. The full agenda is at citycouncil.richmond.ca. For information, call Richmond City Hall at 604-276-4000.
What is the strata title conversion being considered at 8760 Fairdell Crescent?
Applicant Kabel Atwall has applied to convert the new infill building at 8760 Fairdell Crescent to strata title, meaning each unit would be separately owned rather than owned as a whole by one person. The application is filed as SC 26-017199. The Planning Committee is being asked to give first readings to the Official Community Plan amendment and the bylaw that enables the conversion.
What is a strata title conversion and why does the City have to approve it?
A strata title conversion changes a building from one title to multiple separate titles, one per unit. Under BC law, a municipality must approve conversions. Richmond's Planning Committee reviews the application to confirm it meets the City's Official Community Plan and zoning rules. If the committee recommends approval, the item goes to Council for a final vote. The conditions attached to this application include registering a flood indemnity covenant on the land title and completing the building permit before the conversion can be registered.
What OCP change is proposed for 8760 Fairdell Crescent?
Richmond's Official Community Plan Bylaw 9000 would be amended under Amendment Bylaw 10808. The amendment redesignates the Fairdell Crescent properties from the Arterial Connectors Tier 1 land use designation to Neighbourhood Residential Tier 1. The amendment also includes administrative updates to Section 3.2, 'Build Better Housing', regarding strata conversions of small-scale multi-unit housing.
What conditions must be met before the strata conversion at Fairdell Crescent can be registered?
The agenda sets four conditions: a flood indemnity covenant must be registered on the land title; the final inspection for Building Permit B7 25-020392 must be completed; all utility charges and property taxes must be paid up to the year of conversion; and the strata plan must be submitted within 180 days of council's approval. The 180-day deadline means the applicant would need to submit the plan before mid-May 2027 if council approves the item in November.
What is the new council policy on strata conversions of small-scale multi-unit housing?
The November 17 agenda includes a new City Council Policy on strata title conversion applications involving small-scale multi-unit housing. The policy, referenced as Attachment 6 of the staff report (REDMS No. 8576822), sets out how Richmond will handle these applications going forward. The specific criteria are in the full report, available at citycouncil.richmond.ca after the meeting.
What are the proposed changes to service station zoning in Richmond?
Amendment Bylaw 10806 would update Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to clarify the rules for service stations in the Gas and Service Station zone, known as the CG2 zone. The changes specify that vehicle servicing and repair must be primarily for members of the general public, and set out requirements for service bays, customer access points, and fencing near residential areas. The Planning Committee is being asked to give the amendment bylaw its first reading. File reference: 08-4000-01, REDMS No. 8556607.
Do any of the councillors running in Richmond have promises that relate to these planning items?
Councillor Carol Day campaigned on a promise to advocate for zoning bylaws that allow gentle density for affordable ownership and rental housing. The strata title conversion for a new infill building touches that promise directly by creating individually owned units from a building that did not previously have strata titles. Mayor Rob Howard's campaign includes a promise to find new ways to make housing more affordable in Richmond. You can follow both promises at the Richmond promise tracker at /bc/richmond-2026/tracker.
What happens after the Planning Committee meeting on November 17?
Recommendations from the Planning Committee go to Richmond City Council for a final vote. For the strata conversion, that means two bylaws require three readings at Council before they take effect. The service station zoning bylaw would also need further readings. The Council meeting schedule is at citycouncil.richmond.ca. Residents can watch Planning Committee meetings online or in person at City Hall.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Planning Committee Agenda, November 17, 2026 - City of Richmond Council Recordscitycouncil.richmond.ca
- Council Members - City of Richmondrichmond.ca
- Richmond City Council meeting schedulecitycouncil.richmond.ca
- Richmond General Purposes Committee Agenda, November 16, 2026citycouncil.richmond.ca
- Strata Property Act, RSBC 1998, c. 43 - BC Lawsbclaws.gov.bc.ca
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