In an election questionnaire, Eric Yung said he is running for Richmond city council as a Richmond Forward candidate and answered yes to several proposals including increasing density and bike lanes.
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Eric Yung, a candidate for Richmond city council running under the Richmond Forward slate, said he has lived in Richmond since 1975 and wants the city to remain a place where people can raise a family and “age in place.”
Yung said he is seeking council support for practical, evidence-based leadership, adding that he wants Richmond to strengthen housing choices, infrastructure and public safety and support local businesses, while keeping city hall accessible, transparent and accountable.
In the questionnaire, he listed his home neighbourhood as Garden City and said he works as a staff scientist at the BC Cancer Research Institute. He said his favourite hobby is reading.
On public safety and taxation questions, Yung said Richmond is a safe place to live, work and play and answered no to increasing taxes to pay for more police officers and firefighters.
He said he supports continuing the city’s appeal of the Cowichan Tribes ruling and supports increasing reconciliation efforts with First Nations.
Regarding housing, Yung answered no to whether new small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) developments are fitting into Richmond, while saying he supports more housing and greater housing diversity. He said density should be planned thoughtfully, rather than “imposed uniformly on established neighbourhoods such as Steveston and Burkeville,” and said the province used a “hammer” where Richmond needed a “scalpel.”
Yung answered yes when asked whether the city should lower fees for developers to support faster housing development and yes on allowing more City of Richmond-owned land to be used for affordable housing. He answered no to continuing temporary modular housing contracts.
On transportation, Yung said he supports adding more bike lanes, reducing traffic congestion and increasing the number of buses in Richmond, and he answered yes to lowering property taxes.
He also answered yes to additional recreational facilities in Richmond and to increasing funding for arts programming, and he said yes to more taxpayer-funded free community events.
On whether Richmond receives enough support from senior levels of government for housing, health and transportation, Yung answered no.
Yung answered yes to reducing environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) on private property and no to allowing retail cannabis stores in Richmond.
On development along the Fraser River waterfront and support for entrepreneurs, he said yes to more industrial/commercial development along the waterfront and yes to creating more low-cost or subsidized commercial space for local entrepreneurs and startups.
In addition to his yes/no responses, Yung said he wants Richmond to identify city-owned sites for incubator and lower-cost commercial space, create a one-stop “business concierge” for licences and permits, set service standards for approval times and partner with developers and business groups on shared workspaces, pop-up retail and startup hubs.
Yung also answered yes to holding more public consultations before major infrastructure decisions. He said the goal of lowering property taxes should come from better financial management and “smarter use of resources,” rather than allowing core services, infrastructure or public safety to decline.
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