4 - Sunday, December 6, 1992 - North Shore News School expansion faces neighborhood opposition A PROPOSED redevelopment of the Waldorf private school in Lynn Valley ran into the united opposition of most of its immediate neighbors at a jam-packed public hearing on Wednesday night. With opposition speakers out- numbering school supporters three to one, North Vancouver District Council heard presentations for four hours before adjourning the hearing to Tuesday, Dec. 8. At issue were applications by the Vancouver Waldorf School Society: @ to amend the District and Lynn Valley Core Area Official Com- munity Plans and the zoning bylaw for property at 2701 St. Christophers Rd.; @ and to establish a siting area for a new three-storey school building. The 2701 St. Christophers Rd. property is owned and used by the Waldorf society as a staff resi- dence and preschool for 20 children. It is residentially (RS3) zoned and is run as a licensed preschool under home occupation reguia- tions. The bylaw amendment would rezone the property to Public Assembly (PA) and bring it into conformity with the rest of the school site. The lot sits on the northwest corner of the St. Christophers and Lynn Valley Road intersection, and many residents fear that the rezoning would be the ‘‘thin end of the wedge” if the school con- tinues its attempts to purchase other lots on Lynn Valley Road and expand further. Previous Waldorf plans to build a junior high school arts and science centre fronting on three Aitsa Crescent residential lots that the school had acquired were dropped earlier this year because of residential and municipal plan- ning staff opposition. But offers by the Waldorf society to purchase four more properties on Lynn Valley Road, including retired teacher Mollie Nye’s heritage home, increased neighborhood fears that long-term expansion plans of the school in- clude the addition of senior grades. Speaker after speaker em- phasized that they had nothing against the Waldorf educational philosophy, but wanted no future expansion of the school. In a letter to council read at the public hearing Mollie Nye wrote, ‘‘I have lived in this neigh- borhood for 79 years, and ! know as time goes by many changes By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer have taken place in North Van- couver. “But why would anyone let Waldorf piece their property together? Waidorf school should redevelop on a larger piece of property and consolidate schools instead of using small parcels of land.”* Project architect Bert Chase told the hearing that ‘the school will be coming back to council asking for a committee to be struck to find a site in the Lynn Valley core for the upper school presently located in Edgemont Village.’* Chase said that anyone who feels he hax an interest in the siting of the school would be wel- come to join the committee. But many residents continued to express their concerns of future school expansion possibilities. Said Norm Duplissie: ‘‘Make no mistake, the residents have no faith or trust in the plans of Walderf school. With this expan- sun and rezoning this will lead to far more students than predicted and more preschool students.”’ The school’s present plans call for a new three-storey building accommodating 240 students to replace the present building, threc roundhouses and several out- buildings that cover approximately 20,000 sq. ft. (1,858 sq. m). Chase’s presentation to council emphasized that the building had been sited to take advantage of the site’s slope and reduce the ap- parent bulk of the building, while turning continuous facades away from neighboring houses. But some neighbors said the siting had more to do with leaving room for future building and that, in any case, the height of the structure would be enough to block sunlight and impact views. dan Bryant, the school’s ad- ministrator, agreed that ‘‘change is constant,"’ but she said the Waldorf society had ‘really tried to address the concerns of the neighborhood’’ with the proposed siting. Bryant delivered a petition with 101 signatures in support of the proposals from residences within 300 metres (985 feet) of the site, as well as 242 additional Bob Hunter returns Wednesday NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL signatures and 19] letters of sup- port. But neigborhood opponents presented their own petition and displayed a map that indicated 58 immediately adjacent households were opposed to the rezoning and siting proposals. Woato CORRECTION NOTICE December 4 Fiyer Page 13 — Ladies Hanes Briefs, copy should have read 3 pair for $5.99. Page 10 — The pictures of the Intruder Alarm and the Outdoor Timer have been transposed. We apologize for any inconve- nience this may have caused our Woolco customers. Ee PARTICIPATE INA 38 | REWARDING EXPERIENCE! f The North Shore Association for the Mentally Handicap- § ped is requesting applications from nurturing, suppor- § tive, and involved families or individuals who are in- jj terested in providing short term, paid respite care primari- § ly in your own home for a child with special needs. | If you or your family want to participate, please contact: Corinne Dunlop or Delaney Tosh of Respite Services 1070 Roosevelt Crescent N. Vancouver, B.C. V7P 1M3 5 Phone: 984-9321 SMe ff AP § it’s almost Christmas. With many thanks Y) for your patronage, we'd like you to come in and visit us. Have a coffee and a donut. While you're here, have your hearing aid checked and cleaned and talk to one of our Hearing Instrument Specialists about your hearing concerns. 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