Challenge to twin tower stop-work order quashed Court rules on $2.9M payment WEST VANCOUVER District has successfully defended a challenge to a stop-work order issued by the municipality to the builders of the controversial 320 Taylor Way twin towers development. By Maureen Curtis Contributing Writer The order followed a dispute between West Vancouver and Gateway Pacific Construction over a $2.9-million payment for the lease of the twin towers ““Westroyal’’ development site at the southeast. corner of Marine Drive and Taylor Way. Bu Gateway Pacific was quick to point out in a press release that the court dismissed both Gate- way's application to have the stop-work order quashed and West Vancouver's application for a court injunction to uphold the stop-work order. **We were not successful in get- ting the injunction because Gate- way is currently obeying the order,’’ West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager explained. Both sides in the dispute were ordered to pay their own court costs. The stop-work order was issued in August because construction had begun on an electrical room that will be part of the second tower. According to the agreement be- tween Gateway and the municipality, which is leasing the 320 Taylor Way site for the twin towers development, the developer must pay West Vancouver about WEST VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL $2.9 million before work on the second building can start. The dispute arose, the developer contends, because the electrical generating room for both towers is located in what is to become the first floor of the second building. Construction of the first build- ing cannot be conipleted without the electrical facilities, Gateway has maintained; the company assumed that its existing permit allowed for the construction of the generating room. The court did not rule on when future lease payments would be payable. Sager said Monday night that an application for a building per- mit had been received earlier that day. “We are expecting strict com- vtiance with the terms of the egreement,’’ he added. Two vociferous opponents of the twin towers project when it was up for council approval a cuuple of years ago were quick to m.ike comment on the situation. hormer ald. Carol Ann Re. volds asked about a possible conflict of interest regarding two foriner staff members; she was told that the one staff member still employed by the municipality is not employed by Gateway Pacific, while the staff member who is employed by the company no longer works for the district. Reynolds was also told that the municipality has thus far banked about $3 million in revenue for the lease of the twin towers site. Another focal resident, Lionel Lewis, asked about a hefty inter- Wednesday, September 18. 1991 - North Shore News - 3 NEWS photo Neil Lucente REVELLERS DANCED up a storm recently at Deep Cove Days in Panorama Park. est payment that Gateway Pacific may also be in arrears on. But municipal manager Doug Allan said the dispute between Gateway and the municipality over whether such a payment is outstanding has yet to be resolved. NVD Mayor, Ald. call truce Dykeman and Crist issue joint statement TWO NORTH Van- couver District Council combatants have called a truce. During the last several months, district Mayor Murray Dykeman and Ald. Ernie Crist have publicly traded accusa- tions on issues ranging from the controversial Norz:hlands Golf Course to the speaking order at council meetings. In August, Crist accused Dykeman of withholding in- formation from council and falsifying the minutes of coun- cil meetings, charges Dykeman denied. Dykeman said it is important for council to work together as a team for the best interests of the district and added that he was concerned about some of the approaches and tactics Crist had been using. But during a recent series of meetings, Dykeman and Crist discussed their disagreements. The two subsequently agreed to issue a joint statement in an attempt to resolve their dif- ferences: ““Mayor Dykeman's) main NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL source of concern was a state- ment printed in the Aug. 25, 1991 North Shore News which quoted Ald. Crist as stating that ‘‘he’s (Dykeman) falsify- ing the minutes” of the North Vancouver District Council meetings. “Ald. Crist’s main concerns were: oA letter by the mayor responding to comments made by the presidents of two ratepayers’ organizations (which) suggested that Ald. Crist was acting contrary to procedures when addressing a meeting of the Northlands Golf Course Review Committee which, in his view, he attended at the request of some members and addressed with the permission of the chair- man; e‘*A perceived Jack of ad- herence to the speaking order at council meetings. e**A prepared statement by the mayor made at the council mecting in response to various quotes in the press attributed to Ald. Crist and the social planner of the District of North Vancouver was referred to in the minutes, but Ald. Crist's criticism of the mayor was not. Ald. Crist assumed that the omission of his com- ments was at the instruction of the mayor when, in fact, the minutes were prepared by the staff of the municipality in ac- cordance with appropriate pro- cedures and common practice. “As a result of these discus- sions, Ald. Crist apologizes for and retracts his statement which suggested that the mayor was falsifying minutes and ac- knowledges that the prepara- tion of minutes is the responsi- bility of the municipal clerk and that the minutes were pro- perly prepared. ‘Mayor Dykeman acknowi- edges that his letters regarding the Northlands Golf Course Review Committee gave the impression that the committee as a whole had expressed con- cern over Ald. Crist’s atten- dance, rather than being a concern of some members on- ly.” Runaway playgrounds Concerns raised over children playing in H. Bay traffic lanes A NORTH Vancouver woman who recently saw a group of children playing in the truck runaway lanes at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal is calling for the placement of warning signs at the two haz The emergency lanes were in- stalled after oa runaway truck loaded with hot asphalt crashed into a van of holiday travellers in July 1990. A mother and daughter were killed in the accident; seven others were injured. Said Bonnie Lilley of the scene that greeted her after she took a wrong turn on the Upper Levels Highway and ended up at the ferry terminal during the Labor Day weekend, “When I got down there, I just couldn't believe it. It was the first time | had seen these runaways (lanes). § couldn't believe that these children) were being allowed to play in them.”’ Lilley said that ferry traffie was congested and as many as 18 children, age four and up, where playing in the runaway lane closest to the terminal. Said Lilley, ‘hk didn‘t see parents — [| would imagine the parents just let them out of the car. | didn't see any warning signs close to those runaways. J think warning signs should be just huge down there. “Parents who are travelling, ure tired, don’t) realize what those lanes are for. They've missed the sign on the highway above because it doesn’t relate to them. | think there should be warning signs there that this is an extreme- ly hazardous area." ardous areas. By Michael Becker News Reporter She added that she did not notify authorities of the perceived danger at the time. “Uve felt very guilty for not notifying him (a police officer in the area}. [saw the danger and if we don't take action we must bear some of the responsibility.”’ But said B.C. Ferry Corp. spokesman Angie Lessick, ‘I’ve never heard of it (such incidents) and I'm in a position to hear about anything like that. But { did call over to the terminal agent and I also called Capilano Highway Services and they also expressed surprise and dismay. Where are the parents?” Lessick said the runaway lanes fall under the jurisdiction of Capilano Highway Services. Added Lessick, ‘tHe (Capilano Highway Services supervisor) has no reports, but he’s going to put a note out to highway staff because it's dangerous, for goodness suke. Why do they think those lanes are there? If they witness anything like that they will put a stop to it. They're taking it) seriously, al- though they haven't had any specific complaints. Maybe it was just an isolated incident."