Ares ary on ie oS Se CY 4 - Friday, April 29, t stand 1994 - North Shore News all crowd houses in NV} IT MAY have heen the playoff Canucks in a must-win situation, or it may just have been that much of the dehate had been heard two weeks ago. By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer Whatever the reason, a smaller than expected crowd of about 100 showed up at North Vancouver District Hall Tuesday night for the reconvened public hearing of pro- posed single-family housing amendments. Nevertheless, a good many of them had something to say and a steady stream of speakers. gave an attentive council plenty of support for its downsizing initiatives. Speakers in favor of the zoning amendments outnumbered those opposed by 4 margin of almost three to one. If adopted, Bylaw 6644 will: BB reduce housing heights by two feet; teducé floor space ratio (FSR) by 5%; @B include parking structures in the allowable building depth; fH require open spaces greater than’ 12 feet (3.6m) in height to be counted twice in the FSR defini- tion. Bylaw 6645 would limit the height of additions, alterations, demolitions and reconstruction in. existing neighborhoods west of Lynn Creek to the height of exist-. - ing single-family dwellings until zoning regulations for a specific neighborhood are adopted by coun- oi iecaeeit ain Hpeprsnepy aman cil. Staff expect that the 20-plus neighborhood zonings west of Lynn Creek will tike five to six years. In the meantime, exceptions to 6645 can be granted with a variance permit. Couneil has made it clear that it will expect to see a degree of neigh- borhood approval in such instances. On behalf of the Pemberton Heights Community Association, Bob Olson screened a short video that granbically illustrated the dif- ference that new development can make to the character and streetscape af an older neighbor- hood when tittle or no front and side yards are left on the lot. Bruce Ward, a resident of Sunset Blvd. and.a member of the Sunset Gardens Neighborhood Association, made the same point. “Ambience, streetscape, charac- ter are important to us,” said Ward but offered two recent examples of the permit provess in his neighbor- hood that saw larger-than-existing renovations approved by neighbors . because they were “not monsters.” But-Alan Cook of Woodbine Drive predicted that sooner or later under these bylaws there will be homes built that do not please everyone as well as “some home ‘guilders who cannot build as they like.” Said Cook, “I don’t pretend to believe ‘that these two bylaws are perfect. No bylaws ever are. But what we should strive for is a bal- ance and these bylaws will at least move us towards such a balance. “Some will argue that these bylaws ure an intrusion on our property rights. No one can deny this. But this has always been the tase. In fact. notably absent from the Canadian Charter of Rights is any statement on so-called: property rights.” Several speakers, just as at the previous hearing, supported the proposal to reduce overall housing bulk but opposed the restriction on rebuilding to existing height. Larry Crawford labelled Bylaw 6645 “discriminatory” as it only applied west of Lynn Creek. He responded to the contention made by Ann Bosch that it was an interim measure of protection until neighborhood zoning is in place by saying, “Income tax was pul in as a temporary measure to pay for the war.” And Ron Bergstrom participated in the creation of the district's Official Community Plan. He said it took two mayors, four councils and nine years lo com- plete. “We could be well into the next century before this gets done,” said Bergstrom, referring to how long it might take to complete all the neighborhood zonings. Realtor Nicky Marshall also wondered whether neighborhood- by-neighborhood zoning would be “a bit of a nightmare” as realtors and the public tried to get a straight answer from government bureau- cracy on what rule applied where. Marshall also got the biggest laugh of the evening when, in describing how modern housing requirements differ from 40 years ago, she said most families need a room for a nanny. RYLGRMOTIVE™ TRANSMISSION SPECIALISTS A.LR.A. - B.C.A.A. - A.R.A. CERTIFIED CENTRE AUTOMATIC & STD. TRANS. & CLUTCH - Services, O.H.s or exchanges - UR CANADA/U.S. WARRANTY CONSULTATION Ser 176 PEMBERTON AVE. 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