Bi

Mixed-use
concept
presented

’ A TUNNEL under Taylor Way
in West Vancouver is being
proposed as a way to solve traf-
fic problems associated with
the revitalization of a quiet

‘commercial’ enclave known as

the.
» Neighborhood.

: By Maureen Curtis
~ Contributing Writer

Park — Royal

‘An. unusual concept in mixed-
use redevelopment’ was. furthered
recently. West Vancouver District
“Council has referred the Park Royal
‘Hotel Neighborhood. Plan to its
advisory planning commission.
‘Planning - . consultant Ray
* Spaxman submitted the plan for a
‘new “urban village” on behalf of the
Park, Royal. Hotel . Neighborhood
- Association: (PRHNA), owners of
properties near. Clyde Avenue, east
bri Taylor Way and north of Marine

Ves es

‘complementary hotel building could
-be built on municipal tand presently
“used for parking. .

“Although the:area is zoned for

ffice' development, Mayor Mark |

EVEN THOUGH the dengers
‘our-of- bounds. ‘snowboard-

cized since the Dec: 11 rescue |. |
I. of: four: snowboarders’ from ;

Hotel,

The Pork Royal Hotel is the focal :
point of the area and the owner has .. :
‘plans to expand the premiges so that -
it can accommedate conferences. A -

ONE OFTHE Possipe AVENUE

LOCATIONS OF THE ACCESS
Ss TO THE TUNNEL

PARK ROYAL
SHOPPING
CENTRE NORTH

PARK ROYAL
SHOPPING
CENTRE SOUTH

haw WAY

MARINE DRIVE

WESTROYAL
RESIDENTIAL
TOWERS

™ a TO THE LIONS

- GATE SRIDGE
NEWS. srr Linda Seugias

PROPONENTS OF the Park Royal Hotel Nolghborhood “urban village” envision a tunnel connect-
ing Clyde Avenue under Taylor Way to the Park Royal shopping centre.

. Sager asked several years ago that

property owners come up with a

comprehensive plan for the area,

The owners, including Park
Royal Mall,:: British Pacific

. Properties, Park Royal Hotel and the

municipality, fornied an association
and developed a: comprehensive
revitalization scheine with the help
of. architect’ Robert. Burgers and
landscape architects. Durante and

Partners.

They envisioned i ry diversity of
uses in an area of “comfortably”

scaled low-rise buildings and pro-
fusely landscaped streets and court-
yards.

The area would support residen-
tial, and commercial uses. But’
progress has been stalled over sever-
al issues, all of which Spaxman con-
tends are being addressed. :

Traffic is a, major concern, with
drivers currently having great diffi-
culty turning left’ on Taylor Way
from Clyde Avenue at the parkade,
Residents further up from the area

using ‘their neighborhood as a tum-
around in an attempt to get back to
Taylor Way heading south,

The association has.’ met with
local residents and is:proposing a
tunnel _unde¥ Taylos Way as an
expensive but efficient way to alle-
viate traffic and access problems.

Some critics”say that changing
from commercial to mixed-use zon-
ing will deprive the community of
opportunities for employment.

Spaxinan pointed out that the

-amendment
Community. Plan will: likely Bo to.

kept the area in the development
doldrums.

“It is not taking off,” he said,

Mixed use also fits better. with
the Greater Vancouver Regional
District’s “livable region” strategy.

An area that is busy and occu-
pied 24 hours a day is also more
secure, Spaxman said.

The Clyde Avenue area is quiet
at night and is becoming increasing-
ly dangerous and prone to break-ins.

“To bring life back into the area
requires a change,” said Spaxman.

Another concem is the proximity —

of the Capilano River to the revital-
ization.

Redevelopment ‘proponents
intend to treat the river and the

_- walkway along it.as an enhanced

feature;

The “Ministry of Transportation”

owns land north atong Marine Drive
and .any landscaping or improve-
ments there will. support. the
entrance to the community. |
Coun, Pat Boname compliment-

ed Spaxman for bringing the various °

factions: together to advance the
concept. .
Coun. Andy Danyliu asked that

the possibility of seniors housing be _

looked at in any development plan- ;

ning.

Following referral to the plan-
ning commission, a proposal for an
of the: Official

public hearing.
Subsequent development will

occur as the individual owners are,

ready to proceed with rezoning.

“This is an opportunity that must. -

. » From vege 1

* fall into one of three categories:

WA cast iron;
| asbéstos-concrete;
and ductile iron. *.
Only the“ductile iron pipe, installed since the

mid-’ 70s, is comparatively reliable.

‘According ‘to Bremner the cast-iron pipes,

- which have a life expectancy of approximately 50
~years, were used in the water delivery system up
to the late '50s and early ’60s.’

?.What is left of the corrosion-prone cast-iron

. pipes makes up approximately” 15% of the distrib-

ution system... -:
During the.'60s and into the early ‘70s the dis-

J trict used | asbestos-concrete pipes in its building

ally
bounds oa before.

ing | ‘from’ “hypotternia but -
rescuers . were: able’ to’ warm .:
him. ‘up. The West ‘Vancouver
i ould. not. release the.

press deadline because the res-'
ue was still on-going..:
Cypress’ safety - manager
cott Coleman said new snow :
and: poor: visibility’ had ham-,
“pered searchers 2

and replacement programs.
:.The pipe, which had asbestos fi’sres embedded

_in the cement for added Strength, was popular in
¥. Many. municipalities ‘at, the time. and. currently
"makes up| about 40% of the district’ '$ distribution

. system. mh

Sr rortuaily we were ¢ doing an awful lot of

; street rebuilding projects in that Period, with con-

current watermain replacement,” says Bremner.
‘The district began to ) experience problems with

=. the asbestos-concrete pipe about 10 years ago.

’ Failures are generally of two distinct types.
‘The pipe’s rigidity.causes “broken back” fail-

ures when settlement or poor preparation of the
pipe. bed causes the Pipe to fracture over harder
Fock beneath it... °

There has also been a 1 rash of unexplained
“elliptical failures” — six- to eight-inch elliptical-

: shaped blowouts — that do not appear to be

Be stress-related,

are worried about more vehicles

‘The district's water utility is, by’ statute, a self.

contained and self-funded.entity.
Its'1995 budget, recently | approved by. council,

increased the aniount of watermain to be replaced
‘ from 3,800 to’ "4,500: metrés

(12, 467 to 14,764
feet). vad
But even the increased ength i is only 1.03% of

the district's system andiwill cost just over $1.5.

million to replace. i

To replace 55% of the system (the cast iron and’

asbestos-cement portions) would therefore’ cost
approximately $83 million in today’ 's dollars.

- Bremner says the ‘calculation: is “crude” but
admits “it does give a picture of the order of mag-

‘nitude the district faces.”
- He says his department is developing more .

exact criteria for a* “reasonable” replacement pro-
gram, ;
Byers says the utility has developed a points
system to rate the degree of watermain break risk

’, for every street in the district.

It factors: 5:

EM the type of pipe (asbestos-concrete rates the

highest Tisk); /
IZ its age;

, Biits pressure (because of steep terrain the district
has five separate pressure zones with pipes carry-

ing loads that vary ‘from 45-150 Ibs. per square
inch);
@ the number of breaks i in a given length;

Gi the potential site damage caused by a break in a,
given location. 7
Byers says “any pipe with a rating of over 20
warrants replacement” and admits that the district ;
‘has pipe with a rated risk factor of 31.
He estimates that.15% to 20% of the district's a

watermain falls i in the danger zone.

existing, ‘zoning for office space hus

happen," ‘said Sager. ©

.- Taking the more conservative 15% Figtiré, “that” :
-is still a $22. 6 million replacement cost that would .

have to be added to the rapidly escalating water _ .

bill already paid by district property owners.”

The, district's utility: budget ° for ;1995:.will :
impose water rates of $217.22 on-a single-family ;

residence, a 15% increase. |

That, amount is already predicted 1 to rise to .

approximately $500 by the year 2004 to pay for.

the costs of improving the Greater Vancouver

‘ Regional District’s (GVRD) water quality.
Yet the cost of water’ purchased fromthe |.
GVRD only affects one third of the district Water. :

bet

rates.

their opinion on the deluge’ ‘of water costs facing

district residents said they knew an infrastructure

review was being prepared. by ‘staff but had no

“ idea of the dollars involved.’

“It sounds like there is a potential for. signif -
cant costs and we had better make sure we under-

‘stand its magnitude,” said Coun. Don Bell.

Both Bremner and Byers, emphasize, that the

‘pipes themselves are only Patt of the water deliv-
ery system.,:.. >" #

“Because of the’ terrain and the resulting | water.
pressure zones, the district must also maintain, at
additional cost, a system of | pressure relief.valve
stations, pumping stations and reservoirs.’ .’..”’

Council members contacted by the News for: fe

Commented Coun. Janice Harris: “For ‘me,

water is a municipal service that is a priority.
Roads can crumble into the ‘ground as far as I am
concerned.

“This old system | is probably pressed to its.
limit and we have to get serious about replacing it ..

‘or we'll end up like the city of Cairo where noth-
sing works.” ee - wnt