3 - Friday, September 29, 1989 — North Shore News WV RESIDENTS FUMING OVER MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE’S REQUEST Caulfeild Park tree cutting to be investigated AN INDEPENDENT fact finder will be appointed by West Vancouver District Council to examine the removal of trees in Caulfeild Park at the request of a resident who is also a municipal employee. The appointment and a review of the current tree-cutting policy in the municipality were both ordered by council at its Sept. 25 meeting. The decision came two weeks after a group of residents appeared before council to protest the removal of 34 small parkland trees in March at the request of Director of Finance George Horwood, owner of property at 4590 Marine Drive. Most of the trees were dead, ac- cording to the parks departraent. Horwood had followed his ini- tial request with an Aug. 18 re- quest for the removal of three large trees and some additional thinning of branches. PCB storage approved by NVD Council PCB STORAGE at Cana- dian Occidental Petroleum Ltd.’s Amherst Avenue site was approved, subject to conditions, Monday night by North Vancouver District Council even though it is likely that council has no jurisdiction in the matter. P By MARTIN MILLERCHIP Contributing Writer The issue came to council a week ago via recommendations from the North Shore Union Board of Health, which had received a copy of Canadian Oc- cidental’s application to the pro- vincial Waste Management Branch for 2 permit to store PCB con- taminated waste and decommis- sioned capacitors currently on its North Vancouver site. At that time council deferred the matter for one week to obtain a report from staff. The report from North Van- couver District Fire Chief Archie Steacy makes it clear that while the municipal health board has a reviewing capacity, it is the pro- vincial environment ministry that has jurisdiction over issuing per- mits. But council endorsed the NSUBH recommendation to ap- prove the storage permit subject to the conditions: © that storage methods comply with federal and provincial regula- tions; e that storage be temporary until a permanent disposal facility is available to a maximum of two years; @ and that weekly inspections of the storage site be carried out by Canadian Occidental staff and twice yearly inspections be carried out by the fire department. Mayor Marilyn Baker was the only member of uncil to oppose the recommendations. “If there is going to be storage it should be in a central site that the province locates until they deal with how to disnose of it,"’ she said. “We don’t hu.e the authority, the responsibility, the jurisdiction to deai with it and the province does. We are carrying the brunt of it not being dealt with,’’continued Baker. ‘‘If they insist that they are going to proceed it should be on the basis of public information meetings which they hold as the ultimate jurisdiction.” By MAUREEN CURTIS Contributing Writer Notification cf the latter request was met with some opposition which resulted in a Sept. 12 meeting of municipal staff with about 60 concerned resicents. Mayor Don Lanskail said Mon- day that there were two aspects to the problem: thr need for a review ef the existing ;olicy and the in- volvement of < senior West Van- couver municipal employee. “The two should be kept sepa- rate and distinct,’’ Lanskail em- phasized. The current iree-cutting policy for park lands is brief, according to Kevin Pike, the district’s new Parks and Recreation Director. He estimated that a review and proposed expansion, already under way, could be completed by the end of October. Ald. “andy Danyliu then pro- posed that a fact finder be ap- pointed to come up with an objec- tive report regarding the public perception that Horwood had benefited from his position with the municipality. “We recognize that Caesar’s wife must not only be pure but be perceived to be pure,’’ said Danyliu. Lanskail said that a qualification of the fact finder, as yet to be named, would have to be his total independence from the municipal Structure. “No trees will bce touched until this process is completed,’’ said Lanskail. In addition, council received a plan for remedial planting that SFT MCE ete we le Daes council think it is proper for 34 trees to be cut down in a public place ... for the benefit of one person, let alone a public employee?’’ — Marine Drive resident Katileen Aberle TERETE A NCCE would improve the ground cover in the area and screen the private property from the park. This and the current tree-cutting policy and its draft rewrite will be available at West Vancouver municipal! hail. But a number of residents con- tinued to express some skepticism regarding the issue. “Does council think it is proper for 34 trees to be cut down in a public place that is enjoyed by thousands — for the benefit of one person, let alone a_ public employee?’’ asked ‘Aarine Drive resident Kathleen Aberle. “Our concern is for that park — we walk in it ourselves,’’ answered Ald. Rod Day. Horwood, appearing before council as a resident, expressed his hopes that the current tree-cutting policy would not be changed while his application was still on the books. a iLL AROUND , SMOLITIO “] LYD. tre 2 aed . Peo pee NVD fish farm hearing adjourned until Oct. 24 THE PUBLIC hearing for a proposed bylaw amendment that would see fish farming banned as an allowable use in PRO (Parks, Recreation and Open space)-zoned lands in North Vancouver District was adjourned Monday night un- til Tuesday, Oct. 24. North Vancouver District Coun- cil is facing numerous public hear- ings in the next month and, antici- pating a lot of public interest and technical submissions, has taken the unusual step of designating a night other than that of a regular council meeting to conclude the fish farming hearing. Municipal planner Kai Kreuchen . explained the reasoning behind the proposed bylaw amendment: “There has been a general con- cern, with no specific scientific ev- idence as yet, that perhaps major fish farms could have a polluting effect.’” North Vancouver District Coun- cil recently voted in-camera to res- cind previous approval of a pro- posal by Pacific Aquaculture Ltd. to expand its four-pen operation to 20 pens at its new site, approxi- mately seven’ kilometres north of By MARTIN MILLERCHIP Contribuzing ‘Writer Deep Cove in Indian Arm. “The growth of that (fish farm) has created some concern and hence the desire to now ensure that no further fish farming occurs in Indian Arm, especially all waters in the district, until we have good evidence to revise that policy,’’ Kreuchen said. Tom Watson, a shareholder in Pacific Aquaculture and holding a doctorate in fish biology, opposed the bylaw. “We feel that the water and car- rying capacity of Indian Arm can carry our farm and the other operation,’’ he said. ‘‘Every body of water has a limit but I cannot tell council what that limit is, nor can council tell me.”’ The other operation to which Watson referred is the Silver Spr- ing Aquaculture Corporation located south of Croker Island in the upper portion of Indian Arm, which is licensed for 12 pens. Watson called on council to par- ticipate in a ‘‘non-partisan’’ study of the fish farm sites and their potential effect upon the environ- ment. He said that his company would be prepared to live with the results of such a study, but would expect other parties to do the same. Following adjournment of. the public hearing, council also defer- red any further consideration of Pacific Aquaculture’s permit in order to allow provincial or federal health and environment authorities time to comment upon submissions received. The matter had been deferred for staff comment, but according to chief building inspector C.E. Carlson the biological content was such that ‘“‘appropriate comment is beyond the competence of the Permits and - Licences Depart- ment’” JF Brey ba *a NEWS photo Neli Lucente ALL THAT is left of a residential block on Bowser Street in North Vancouver District this week is a pile of rubyle. Approximately 20 houses will be demolished in a two-bleck area bounded by MacGowan Avenue, Tatlow Avenue and the rear of Marine Drive commercial properties to allow for the building of 120 townhouses and apartments. Auto..................25 Classified Ads..........33 Home & Garden.........13 What's Going On........24 WEATHER Friday and Saturday, mostly sunny. Highs near 20°C. Second Class Registration Number 3885