Presentation ii

ouse’s fate po

City staff to study viability of saving heritage building

Deana Lancaster

News Reporter
dlancaster@nsnews.com

WHAT will happen to
Presentation House?

With the arts centre’s current tenants
- the North Vancouve. Museum and
Archives, the theatre, photo gallery and
North Shore Arts Commission — all con-
templating moves to roomier digs, the
future of the heritage building, and of
Anne MacDonald Hall south of it, is
uncertain.

“There are few sites in the city that
have played such a significant role in the
community,” said North Vancouver City
development planner Gary Penway.
“There’s a lot of history there that could
be told.”

Both buildings are listed in the city's
Heritage Inventory, but that doesn’t
mean they're protected from demolition.

At Tuesday night’s North Vancouver
City council meeting Penway presented a
report on redevelopment potential and

critage considerations for both.

The building that provides quarters
for Presentation House is actually called

Homeowners face heavy

From page

Central school. Buift in 1902, it was the
first school in North Vancouver outside
of Moodyville.

In 1915, when Queea Mary school
opened, Central school was no longer
needed and the building became city hall.

“ft was the citv hall for 60 years —
there were a fot of council meetings held,
alot of decisions made in that building,”
said Penway.

In 1975. the
Presentation House.

On its way to becoming the hub of
cultural activity Central school suffered
Numerous renovations, additions, and
subtractions. In many cases, said Penway,
cost-saving, rather than character-saving,
measures were employed.

The domed belfry that once graced
the roof disappeared, domes on the south
side were removed, roundel windows
were replaced by vents and the additions
left a labyrinth of awkward spaces under
the eaves.

It’s a good example of “how to screw
up a pretty nice building,” said Penway.

Although he’s struggled to contain
the North Vancouver museum within its
rabbit warren-like space . director Robin
Inglis thinks the building has received a

building became

istrate th: tank removal and drainage program.
But Ernst says the public response to the problem has so far

been poor.

In the 12 vears since West Vancouver fire crews began tour-

bad rap and history should be taken into
consideration when its future is decided.

“Sometimes sites take on 2 certain
persona. Presentation House hasn't had
good vibes in the past 10 years or so.

“It always looks rundown, there isn’t
enough money, it hasn't been well taken
care of.

“But it has quite a history, and that
should mean something in the communi-
wr

Inglis said he believes the essential
core character of the building remains,
and if the additions are removed, the bel-
fry and domes replaced and building
codes brought up to modern standards,
“it could be quite lovely ... a jewel of a
heritage building. There is something to
be gained from that. That's what I'd like
to see done.”

And that’s what the city’s planning
division staff will soon be studying.

Council voted unanimously in favour
of directing, staff to do a study on both
Anne MacDonald Hall, built as the
Church of St. John die Evangelist in
1900, and Central school, to look at
whether the condition of the two build-
ings would merit saving them, and what
potential uses they could have.

iz

cleanup costs

ing neighbourhoods, knocking on doors and letting people
know about the tanks, Ernst says that “only about 39% have
been drained.” And since the fire code changes, only around 30
_ tanks have [ten successfully removed.
Environment Canada figures suggest that around 4,600
North Shore homes were orginally fuelled by oil or kerosene.
North Vancouver residents appear to have been more dili-
gent: in the city, Fire Prevention Chief Dave Burgess estimates
that half of the 300 to 400 tanks identifier ‘save been dealt with
in the last. few years; his district count.cpart Brian Stegavig
claims a near 100% success rate as a result of letters sent out to
homeowners. ' we
. “& lot of people don’t know the potential dangers to the
environment and. to their pocketbook if they don’t deal with
this now,” Ernst says. _*
. He cites the case6f one West Vancouver man who had to
shell out $80,000-+‘-hen oil from an abandoned tank was found
under the foundation of his house.
“[ don'téare who you are, that stings,” says Ernst.
_Thefhan was lucky in one sense: none of the oil spilled over
“ONTO neighbouring property.
“Homeowners really have to be aware,” says Ernst, “that
“they will foot the cleanup bill, and if their oil makes it into a
creek, or into a neighbour's yard, then they foot the cleanup bill
for all the resulting damage.”
“>. Homes can also be Placed on the provincial contaminated
“sites database — where they will remain until the cleanup is
taken care of. In the meantime, says Ernst, “you might have a
very tough time selling your home.”
- ~ Homeowners attempting to seil should declare the presence
‘of: an underground tank on their property —~ and seck fire
. department assistance well before the property changes hands.
“There are a lot of people out there who simply do not
know,” Ernst says, “and others who say they do not know,”
Signs of an underground tank include:
Wa filler pipe sticking out of the ground;
@ a vent pipe at the side of the house;
M@ a metal pipe cap close to the front or back yard
“2 Often tanks are underneath a garden or driveway — “any-
“where,” says Ernst, “an oi! truck could reach.”
Homeowners who suspect they have an underground tank
should contact the fire departmer't for help.
Thev can arrange for a metal detector or rolling radar at the
site if the tank is not immediately visibic.
In West Vancouver, it’s no longer acceptable for homeown-
“* ggs to remove the oil or, the tank by themselves. The West
- Vancouver fire department insists on documentation from .a
licensed company.
When the tanks are removed, they should be taken care of by
a company licensed to transport hazardous waste.
: “You really can’t just do the job yourself,” says Ernst, “and
”. you can’t just have anybody do the job. These people have to be

” “experienced in the field, certified. We have homeowners tell us that they did they
job, and they actually never did it, so we have to go back and check.”

North Vancouver City residents residents are asked to supply an enviror:men-

tal report of the work carried out — while North Vancouver District inspects sites

” regularly only when the work has been done by the homeowner.

But Stegavig says that contractors whose work is hot up to fire code standards

will be remove them from the department’s recommended list.

Ernst says a lot of people also claim hardship to avoid having to remove the

MARCIA James (left) and West Vancouver Fire Department Capt. Martin Ernst
with ans underground oil tank dug up during construction work at a local home.

to drain and fil} the rank with sand.

20% have a genuine claim.

to save you a lot of grief later.”

!

tanks. Under fire code regulations, if the tank is located, for instance, beneath a
paved driveway, foundation or slab patio, homeowners may be permitted simply

Of the 95% who declare hardship conditions, Ernst estimates that only about

Friday, May 26, 2000 —- Narth Shore News - 3

ndered

Photo North Vancouver Museum and Archives

PRESENTATION House then and now. Originaliy
called Central school, the building has undergone
numerous renovations, additions and subtractions.

NVD lot
rezoning
opposed

Marcie Good
Contributing Writer

RACIST stereotypes
have fuelled a neigh-
bourhood’s opposition
to one resident’s plan to
subdivide his property,
his lawyer charged at
Tuesday’s North
Vancouver District
council meeting.

“This is a case of a number
of neighbours ganging up on
one person,” said George
Gregory, who _ represents

weven Ngan. “This’ would
have been: completely lawful:
under the existing bylaws.”
- "Ngan was in the process of ~
. making a Supreme Court
’ application for the removal ofa
- restrictive covenant barring
‘subdivision of lots in the
Marlborough Heights. area.
The covenant was made
benween a developer and the
purchasers of lots in the 1940s,
- and did not involve the district.
gz Ngan was applying for its
- removal so he could subdivide -
his lot.at 150 Sandringham
and build .two heritage-style
- homes. He planned to move’
into one and sell the other. His
family also owns. a lot across’.
‘the street where they curzently
live.

The district’s regulations
would” have. allowed Ngan to
subdivide his lot. His lawyers =
were planning to argue there
were. “flaws” in the old
covenant. : :

When. Ngan began the
application, his’ lawyers
informed several of his neigh-
bours. Mary of them signed a
petition and asked staff of the
planning department for an
amendment to the bylaw to
prevent him from ‘subdividing.

At Monday's meeting, one
of them raised concerns about
“monster houses.” Several said
they did not want higher den- :
sity, and wanted to keep the

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

Tackling the tanks is expensive, but as Ernst points out, “If you deal with that ~ large lot pattern of the neigi-
problem now — if you deal with that tank and get it out of the ground, it’s going .

See Racism pageS