WV picks rec facil Deana Lancaster News Reporter dAlaneaster@usnewws.com IN the coming years, West Vancouver residents will have plenty of options when it comes to recreation. Aiter years of discussion about upgrading the municipa recreation facilities, the past vear has seen several projects suggested, initiated and even completed. The most recent: announcement came Monday night at the weekly council meeting. when Mayor Ron Wood announced that coun- cil has selected the architects who will do the site planning and designs for the central and the Western recreation centres. Hotson Bakker Architects is to create the Bridge reopened early on Sunday Katharine Hamer News Reporter khamer@nsnews.com LAST weékend’s construction closure of the designs ror the Civie Centre Commanity Centre, a $4,000) square toot (4,000) sq. ome recreation centre to replace the one that cur: rently stands at 22nd Street and Manne Drive. The estimated cost ter the entire project, which includes underground parking and a plaza. is projected at S235 million. The plans tor the $6 million westerns recre- ation centre — which has been the subject of some controversy — are to be designed by Patkau Architects. The 22,005) square: toot (2,090 sq. m) Gleneagles Community Centre made it high on the list of recreation priorities for the district since a January 1999 study indi- cated that demographics have changed, and that most young families live in the western Wednesday. Seotember 20, 2000 - North Shore News - 3 — Firms to deliver plans by January next year arewot the municipafity. The relocation of Marine Drive to accom: modate the centre —- subject to. an emironmen: tal assessment currently under way --- is one of the design considerations Patkau Architects will be authorized to consider, During meetings last vear area residents raised several concerns about moving the road; among then, that rare plant vegetation and trees ould be destroyed in the reahgament, as well as some of Gleneagles golf course's facilities, and thar placing the recreation centre on the same side of Marine Drive as the course would put users of the ree centre in the wav of flying golf balls. The results of the environmental assessment are expected within the next couple of weeks, arch itects Josie Chuback, manager of community services. said Tuesday, Both firms will be expected to present chess detailed site plans and schematic designs b. January, 2001, In the process of their work there will be Open houses and opportunity for pub input, said Chuback. As well as the two recreation centres, the June 1999 Recreation Facilities Master Plan list- ed as priorities: B upgrading the ice arena, B® upgrading sports fields and building new ones, and expanding the aquatic centre. Renovauions to the fee arena, which cost approximately SET+4 million, are completed: drawings for the $7.5 million aquatic centre are under ways apd recommendations for the field implementation plan are due in November. Lions Gate Bridge went swimmingly. The closure was scheduled from 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday, but workers using new methods finished replacing a single deck section six and a half hours earlier than expected. The bridge was reopened to traffic early Sunday afternoon. Workers also completed the repaving of the Stanley Park causeway and installed a “traffic plate” or speed bump near the north tower to help make deck replacement work easier. BC Transportation Financing Authority spokeswoman Pam Ryan said it may slow traffic down temporarily. BCTFA has still not finalized a fall closure schedule. Ryan said a schedule might be released sometime this week. To press time Tuesday no closures were announced for the . coming weekend. Blasting opposed From page t Since then, the group has been gaining steam as citizens join up to fight for better long- term planning. _ > “Ets about the movement of goods and people from the Lower Mainland for the next 30 years,” said CAFTE mem- ber Susan Rowntree. She said that all levels of -government have, to get - involved to solve the problem. » Back in November 1999, the. ferry corporation's plans ‘called for a privately run, three-storey, 350-450 vehicle, above-ground parking. facility and an adjacent 19,000 sq. fr. (1,765 sq. m) administration, ticketing and commercial facil- itv on Bay Street. Protesters back. then. called it “the > bunker.” Since then, BC Ferries has revisited its plans and moved the parking facility _under- ground. It will hold 450 vehi- cles. The move allows for reten- tion of the existing, 175-vehicle above ground lot. But an — underground parkade facility would be locat- ed beneath a new ten-lane traf fic holding area which protest- ers say is far too big, and inap- propriate for the setting. Designed to accommodate approximately 1,200 vehicles, rather than the current 650, the. holding area will run on top of the parkade and could extend as far’ back as the ‘Highway 99 overpass. * "In order to implement these changes, close to 247,204 cu. ft. (7,000 cu. m) of rock and 882,870.12 cu, ft. (25,000 cu. m) of earth will have to be removed from underneath the Upper Levels Highway. According to BC Ferries, ne blasting of the north hillside would occur. The new ‘administration and ticketing facility has been reduced to a two-storey 12,000 sq. it. (1,115 sq. m) building and will require some rock removal from the hillside. Moonen reported that the ferry corporation has applied to ‘he Districe. of West Vancouver for a blasting per- mit and that more letters and more protests must be orga- nized immediately, “Tl lay down in front of the trucks if thev start blast- ing,” said protester” Diane Summers. “I don’t care.” BC Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Dykes said that a contractor = (Metean) has applied for the blasting permit. Meanwhile, CAFTE would like to see the Nanaimo/Horseshoe Bay route removed altogether. This, they say, is the only way to avoid increased pollution, noise and destruction of the environment. “T defy Mr. Lingwood (president of BC Ferries) when he says he’s working with the community,” said Coun. Bill Soprovich to the crowd. “He's not.” Soprovich and West- Capilano Vancouver Liberal MILA Jeremy Dalton encour- aged everyone “not to give up the big fight.” As plans progress, it remains to be seen whether or not the ferry cor- poration will come to the table once again. As a provincial Crown corporation, it is not required to abide by the municipality’s regulations. BRIAN Bowman pianned to set up shop in this building, but an amended North Vancouver City used goods bylaw has forced him to look elsewhere. Bylaw burns businessman Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter ; adangelo@usnews.com BRIAN Bowman is not going to fight city hall. He has decided to take his business elsewhere instead. The budding owner of a second-hand computer store cancelled a new lease to a store in North Vancouver City. Bowman feels a recently amended bylaw will put him out of business before he starts. The bytaw, passed in June, extends to 30 days from 72 hours the time required before second-hand goods are allowed to be sold. The move was a bid by city council to hinder the sale of stolen goods, especially ones stolen in other municipalities. Bowman is launching a used computer outlet called Computer Surplus Warehouse. Bowman buys his stock from a supplier with a warehouse based in Coquitlam. The sec- ond-hand computers are purchased from a large corporation and refurbished in Coquitlam. “It’s a good bylaw, badly written, badly applied and bad for business,” said Bowman, Bowman had signed a lease and tendered a deposit for 1,500 square feet of space at 705 West 2nd St. He planned to hire two employees. Bowman contacted the city for a business licence. He found out the used goods bylaw applies to his business even though he is not buying his merchandise from the public. [n addition to the 30-day holding time, Bowman must take a full description of the goods along with a photograph of any merchandise valued at more than $100. Computer reseller caught by city bid toe target stolen goods “It’s not a small order with $20,000 or $30,000 worth of stock,” he said. Bowman did not have time to lobby to change: the bylaw, He had to release subjects on his lease within 19 days. He opted to cancel his lease. The North Vancouver resident is looking to set up shop in North Vancouver District or beyond the North Shore. “We would have been about the only source of clean, used, refurbished and warranted computer equipment at reasonable prices for the North Shore,” said Bowman. He said his business is set back more than six weeks because of the bylaw. Bowman agrees with the spirit of the bylaw bur feels it is overzealously applied. ; Mayor Barbara Sharp said she spoke to Bowman at length. She suggested he go before council as a delegation to express his concerns. “Everybody's avenue is always to come and talk to coun- cil. The bylaw is in place. That is the law,” said Sharp. A city administrator said the bylaw does not apply to used cars as automobile dealers fall under provincial regulations. It’s not clear how the bylaw applies to garage sales and flea markets. : Meanwhile Tim Thompson, with YVR Computers Surplus Warehouse and Bowman’s Coquitlam supplier, said he has a bill of sale for all his merchandise. Thompson says | he hasn’t encounter a similar problem in setting up dealer stores in Vancouver, Richmend, Maple Ridge and in Calgary where another warehouse is located. He said in Calgary, purchases “off the street” requires a 30-day hold before sale.