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8 - Sunday, July 10, 1988 - North Shore News

WEST VANCOUVER
Collingwood School decision challenged in court

ONE OF West Vancouver
Council’s most controversial

‘ decisions is being challenged

.in B.C, Supreme Court.

By MAUREEN CURTIS

Contributing Writer

| The Collingwood School expan-
sion bylaw, which followed mon-
ths of hot debate and lengthy
public hearings, is being contested
by a group of Glenmore area resi-
dents. Their petition, filed Mon-
day, will be heard July 18.

\ Construction is due to begin this
summer on the expansion of the
successful private school, which:
has leased the old Glenmore
Elementary School site since 1984,

The expansion bylaw is being
challenged on the basis of proce-

Residents

H From page 5
council sneaked it through,’’ com-
plained Harris.

Most of the material about the
320 Taylor Way proposal that was
sent out to area residents and was
available at council meetings con-
cerned the parking variance, with
no mention of a_ high-rise
development, Harris explained.

“Then we learned that the car
park , was not the end of
everything, but the start of two
21 -storey towers,” said Harris.

People were also surprised to
learn a 99-year lease agreement for
almost $10 million had come up
and been read three times at a
special Thursday meeting that
lasted less than half an hour.

“There was hardly anybody
there,” recalled Capt. George
Murrell of the Ambleside Dun-
darave Ratepayers Association.

According to district planner
Steve Nicholls, the special mecting
was called in order to meet a May
‘31 closing date.

i Nicholls also said future
‘development of the site was first
; made public in 1979, when courcil

/ made a first, unsuccessful call for

tenders, and ‘then struck a commit-
tee to collect public opinion and
decide on development objectives
for the site.

Despite a push from soine resi-
dents for park development of the
land, counci! decided in 198! to
opt for high-rise development, but
reduced the maximum density.

Council did not accept any of
the bids received on its next call,
and due to downturns in the real
estate market, leased out the bulk
of the land to a car dealership.

After three new offers came in
on the property in 1986, the
municipality called for bids in July

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dural mistakes on the part of the
municipality, with respect to public
notice of the public hearings and
changes in the permitted uses of
the site.

“Because of the way the bylaw
is written, council (members have)
given themselves discretionary
power (o decide the use of the site
— they can't be judge and jury,”
was the third procedural complaint
outlined vy David Blair, one of the
three co-signatories of the petition
to the Supreme Court.

“We're always bragging about
the high quality of life here in
West Vancouver, and here is
shoddy administration,'’ charged
Blair, ‘‘It’s embarrassing to us.”’

Although the group is challeng-
ing the municipality's decision on
technical points, they are actually
far more unhappy with the pro-

spect of having an expanded and

combined elementary and second-
ary school in their neighborhood.
impacting on traffic and parking
problems and usc of the local park
to an even greater extent.

These complaints were aired
during the public hearings, but
council seemed satisfied with the
initiatives undertaken by Coll-
ingwood School to improve park-
ing and traffic flow and restrict
student use of the park.

After an agreement to purchase
the site from West Vancouver
School Board was signed, council
decided te vote in favor of an im-
proved Collingwood School.

If the citizens’ group is suc-
cessful in getting the bylaw quash-
ed, Collingwood School would
have to start the procedure over
again. Blair said his group would
have other complaints to add to
the list if there was a second pro-

rall y against towers

1987. Four were received, all for
twin towers -— two for combined
senior citizens residential care, one
for combined residential and hotel
use and a final high bid for a
straight residential development
from Newcorp Properties.

Nicholls, municipal manager
Terry Lester, Jim McLean and Bill
Ireland of Owen Berg negotiated
with the developers, otherwise
known as Viam Holdings, which is
owned by the Decotiis brothers of
North Vancouver.

“Of any site in West Vancouver,
this one has had the most discus-
sion,’’ concluded Nicholls.

The district must secure the
parking fot variance now under
discussion, clear the land for con-
struction and agree to build an
underpass. Beginning at 6th St. via
Clyde Avenue, the underpass
would go south under Marine
Drive to access the development, at
an estimated cost of $100,000 to
$200,000.

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“It was the school board’s posi-
tion through all of this that they
had to remain neutral — and yet
isn’t it more usual for a landlord
to give permission to a tenant be-
fore allowing changes to be
made?" asked Blair.

Blair questioned why the schooi

board gave Collingwood a condi--

tional authorization to apply for
the rezoning, but never asked for

RO

or was given an opportunity to
view the plans for the expansion.
Blair was not impressed with the
$2.8 million the school board gets
out of the deal with Collingwood,
because it comes in over a number
of years and includes the money
from the original lease. ‘‘They

- would have got more money if
. they ran through the lease and then

sold
Blair. ;

the suggested

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