THE VOICE OF NO ORTH AMD WEST VAP iCOUVER News 985-2131 Classified 986-6222 Distribution 986-1337 44 pages 25¢ May 16, 1990 funds. for - the. Crime Stoppers program. Malcolm. “Gaines (inset) checks his watch as he becomes the. first runner to cross the finish line with a time of 32:44, “followed by Ron Feeney at 34:44. Bonni Walker won ‘the women’s division at 38:45, followed in second place by Sarah Gatlazia at 42:41. INSIDE: Exexeme COMPLETE WEEK’S TV LISTINGS: 24. Marshall's art of darkness GOLFERS FACE OFF Rare trees stand in the way of proposed WV golf course GOLFERS AND hikers squared off at Monday night’s West Vancouver District Counci! Pubiic Hearing over the merits of the increasingly contentious 27-hole golf course proposed for municipal land just south of the Cypress Bowl ski recreation area on Hollyburn Mountain. But the usual battle lines were not firmly drawn: there were hikers who also golf, but were concerned for the old-growth forest making up approximately one third of the 350-acre site. And a number of golfers — who also hike — argued that West Vancouver is high on trees and golfers, but low on golf courses. “YT strongly recommend that council exercise some balance,’* said Fred Martin, who pointed out that golfing, with between two mil- lion and six million enthusiasts currently in Canada, is the fastest growing sport in the world. But hikers want an area stand of old-growth red and yellow cedar, some at least 800 years old, preserved in a heritage park. Glen Paterson, a registered pro- fessional forester with over 40 years experience, favored the golf course, but pleaded with council to save what he termed ‘ta unique stand” of old-growth cedar trees. He disagreed with developer Cypress Ridge Golf Ltd.*s (CRGL) forestry consultant Arnie Dohlen that the make-up of the stand is repeated elsewhere in the area, “~ counted 12 trees with an average diameter of eight feet within what I estimated was an acre — and that’s something you won't see anywhere else,’’ said Paterson. And, submitted Katharine and Michael Steig, ‘‘We believe that to destroy a forested area more than one-third the size of Stanley Park in order to develop a golf course would be irresponsible in these days of heightened environmental awareness.”’ CRGL, which is affiliated with the company that operates the ad- jacent Cypress Bowl ski resort area, would lease the golf course land from the municipality. The company has detailed plans that include saving as many of the old-growth trees as possible and developing the golf course to minimize environmental impact on the area. One of the initial steps in the development would be to dig holding ponds that would not only RES, Meena eee ek ce 13 | ~~ NORTH SHORE SPORTS: 13 WEST. VANCOUVER: DISTRICT COUNCIL | slow water run-off for flood con- trol, but stock-pile water for ir- rigation. The mountainside area gets an average of 116 inches of precipita- “People go up Cypress Bowl Road for peace and quiet — not the sound of motorized golf carts and the plock, plock, plock of golf balls.’’ — hiker Chris Brayshaw Ra Sa ONS tion annually. Fears have been raised that fer- tilizers and pesticides will leach in- to the soil and run-off, but the de- velopers plan to use the former in frequent small amounts and minimize the need for the latter through the use of disease-resistant plant species. In addition, only approximately 60 to 70 acres of the 320-acre site will be developed as golf course fairways. While questions have been raised over the economic feasibility of operating a golf course at an eleva- tion that would allow the course to be used only 150 days per year, CRGL is confident of the course’s viability. The project’s $16-million capital cost will be defrayed by initial membership fees, which in the case of another North Shore golf course are about $25,000 per member. Several hundred members are expected to join, with priority given to West Vancouverites. The fees, according to CRGL's Frank Sojonky, will ‘‘subsidize’’ the availability of the course to the public.