WHEN you drive

across the bridges from
Vancouver to the North
Shore, what do you see?

From the Second Narrows
Bridge, when you cast your
gaze above the developed res-
idential neighborhoods of
North Vancouver, you take in
Lynn Peak, Seymour
Mountain and the magnifi-

_cent forested slopes which are
mostly the property of local
and provincial governments.

But from the aging Lions
Gate Bridge it’s a very difter-
ent picture. As you look to
the west, up above West
Vancouver, the broad expanse
of Hollyburn Mountain can
be viewed.

Although new fingers of
development continue to
crawl higher up the hill, scar-
ting the viewscape, much cf
the mountainside seems cov-
cred with lush green forest.
But in this case, almost every-

thing that can be seen is pri-
vately owned. And this makes
a huge difference to what the
West Vancouver hillside
(soractimes known as
“Martini Slopes”) will look
tike in the future.

Only the very top of
Hollyburn Mountain is

maiboxw oo

Save Lonsdale’s her

Dear Editor:

owned by the municipality.
Provincial Crown lands,
including Cypress Provincial
Park, lie on the other side of
the ridge, mostly out of the
sight-lines of North Shore
residents or anyone on the
other side of the water.

But the rest of the massive
incline stretching above the
Upper Levels Highway that
remains undeveloped is
owned by British Pacific
Properties — part of an astute
and visionary business trans-
action more than 60 years ago
that also called for the con-
struction of the Lions Gate
Bridge.

Today, more than half of
BPP’s initial land base has
been sold and developed... But
the remainder of the compa-
ny’s holdings -- almost 1,000
hectares — remains poised for
eventual development, subject
to zoning regulations current-
ly being reviewed by West
Vancouver District.

As part of a public consul -
tation process, a series of
open houses were recently
held to solicit feedback on the
type of mountainside develop-
ment that might be accept-
able to the good burghers of
West Vancouver.

A few hundred people
turned out to the open house
meetings and approximately
7G individuals took the time
to complete a detailed work-
book on the subject. The
feedback was wide-ranging,
although there were some
consistent themes.

Many West Vancouverites
would prefer to see a halt to
any further construction on
the slopes above them.

Unfortunately, since the
municipality has already
zoned all of the land below
the 1,200-foor line for si
family residential develop-
ment, this doesn’t seem to be
a serious policy option.

More likely is a plan that
will take into a t con-
cerns about the existing pat-
tern of development on the
mountainside.

And during the open
house consultations many
people expressed very strong
feelings: they don’t like the
“monster houses” being built
on the hillside; they object to
the landscape being stripped
of its natural vegetation an
replaced with ornamental
shrubs; they believe a sense of
belonging is mismng in the
progression of extremely
pricey subdivisions that don’t
equate to building a commu-
nity.

The last point is an impor:
tant and often-expressed
opinion.

Some neighborhoods in
West Vancouver — such as
Ambiesjde, Dundarave and
Horseshoe Bay — have well-
developed identities and a
strong fecling of community.

Even the Caulfeild shop-
ping centre, which was initial-
y opposed by many residents,
has Wecome an importance and
valued meeting place, But
higher up the mountain th
isn’t much sense of communi-

.

Instead, we're seeing a
series of high-end subdivi-
sions being built, made up of
prestigious but insular home-
sites that can be afforded by
only a fraction of the very

tage

There does not exist in Vancouver a true

Debi NataP hI PIER SRO) FANS

wealthiest citizens.

Some of those who offered
their feedback on the future
development of West
Vancouver’s Upper Levels
sector said they would prefer
to see a range of housing
preferences on the mountain-
side rather than an unimagi-
native repetition of monster
housing.

One longtime resident of
the municipality said that
West Van used to be a place
where an average person
could purchase a small house

oN

DOWNTOWN

Friday, April 11,

AGN

and raise a family.

“Obviously those days are
long gone,” she bemoaned.
“But do we have to be so
exclusive?”

West Vancouver council
has appointed a broad-based
steering committee of 16
members to assist the munici-
pality’s planning department
in the challenge of coming up
with viable options thar will
then be reviewed by the pub-
lic this fall prior to being
enshrined in a new bylaw.

Wish them good luck and

VANCOUVER

great wisdom, for they'll be
deciding on the future quality
of community life in West
Vancouver. And a crucial por-
tion of the North Shore’s
viewscape and identity also
rests in their hands.

— The North Shore News
believes strongly in freedom of
speech and the right of all sides
in a debate to be heard. The
colusmnists published in the
News present differing points
of view, but those views are not
necessarily those of the newspa-
per itself.

a Add a second

phone for just
$9.95imonth.

“And get your”
first 60'days.
~airtime free.

WEST VANCOUVER |

My home is North Vancouver. I grew up on
the 400-block of 3rd Street.

I hate to see any of the old heritage build-
ings on Lonsdale destroyed to make way for
highrise apartment buildings. There are
enough of them in North Vancouver already.

We need to save those buildings, to recreate
them as they were. They are beautiful build-
ings, unlike Vancouver's. -

We necd‘to keep these buildings, to use
them in a way in which they will always repre-
sent the history of North Vancouver.

Create a museum to tell the history of the
creation of North Vancouver, and the existence
of the First Nations people.

history of the Squamish people, and that histo-
ry is rich and very interesting.

I think it is about time North Vancouver
does this.

If marketed you will have the draw of the
SeaBus, the draw of the Lonsdale Quay, hotels,
the waterfront, a heritage area for blocks,
museums, art galleries, even a live play perfor-
mance, native museum and native heritage cen-
tre. This is what will bring the business to you,
and keep the Lonsdale area from becoming
another West End.

Fran Nahanee
Sechelt, B.C.
frances_nahance@sunsiiine.net

f Liz-Linen' Look.

15% vice ose. J

“Domcord R

Varied cc

#105-950 W. Broadway
Oak & Broadway
737-8018

nite iw veatakcomicotctty a i
44 Mobility Centre -

B Intormed: Free prone and $25.35 4 month plan baved On 76 month contract. New customers onty, OAC. Home feee calls untimited in
length « maar 30 cath per tronth - local calls onty Home Fire calls must be te primary customer's registered BC TEL mudential landine number.
Frew calls home applicaple aniy to calls made un the BC TEL Mobility network. two-tn-One Plan: New 36 month contracts required on both
pamary phone and wcondary phone. Stcandary

it 202 Royal Centra
1055 W. Georgia St.
681-9892

#919 Park Royal South
921-1331...

ohone appears on primary phone bill. Only one Home Free number atevpted on fwo-in-One
pian. Mate of S$¢ per mnuie dung non free duytine prriots Anqual radi system access fen of $48, long distance and tanes extra Early
canceltation lees appty an all ib month contests Limited pene offer, 5 2

S19. Oe

 “Merbers

vaatue Hating BID =9244-
Hours purge

Sti 4180-509
wtgn 19-30-90,
at 7. 930-6 30 ;
": Plus.6 more tocatiqns in.the
ower inainland to Serv

nine jaternet!
w-dabficlandwest,