Dear Editor:

* [write to address the economics,
fairness, balance and choice relating
tothe proposed “Cates Landing”
residential development. on
Dollarton Highway.

“. Opponents to this proposed
development want North Vancouver
District to buy ‘these lands for more
park even though a large percentage
of district land is park already.
. Past council decisions to exclude
much of Lynn Valley from residen-
tial development, .to build a. golf

. .gourse on the Northlands site, and to

‘opt for park instead of houses in the
‘Cove’ Forest and Mountain Forest,
‘have dramatically decreased the dis-
_ trict’s ability to. generate revenue
"outside of property taxes. *

‘And now we are being asked to -

».. consider spending more money to
“, acquire what? — hundreds of acres
of wilderness?’ More vast expanse

for future recreational use? No, 6.5

‘acres of primarily industrial waste-

"danid which even the. district. parks”
“department doesn’t want, adjacent

‘loan already existing park. :

“IU is ludicrous even‘ to consider :
uch a waste of taxpayers’. money to.
atisfy a few NIMBYS who want no’.
‘ nomic nonsense. ©
_ ~ (2) Do nothing — ~ economically .
inferior, lacks fairness to the owners.

rowth anywhere, but contitiue. to

“demand: the’ high level of:service -

~that we have come to expect with no
thought of how it will.be paid for.

Several years ago another coun-.

il designated the Cates Landing
psite Parks:

Recreation and:

Wilderness: (PRW), ‘thus severely
reducing both its value as industrial
property and the option of the exist-
ing landowners. _

Why did past councils not
acquire the property for park after
the PRW designation? Could it be
that no one wanted it?

In the meantime, the current
owners had to suffer the deprecia-
tion of the property values, saddled
with a. zoning designation that
would drive away any potential pur-
chaser, be they industrial or whatev-
er, but with no buyer prepared to
buy it for its designated use. |

We needa balance between
preservation and development.

We need to preserve enough of .

our. municipality for the . future

_enjoyment of our children and their

children, while providing places for
people to live and at the same time
increasing the tax base so that we
can all afford to live here and enjoy
the level of service that we deem
essential.

Here are the options.for the
Cates Landing site.as | see them in
the context of economics, fairness

-and balance:

(1,) Buy the land for park — eco-

and does nothing for balance.
(3) Remove PRW designation —

- possibly, but who knows what new

industrial uses the Property might be

inner for

put to — it could be our worst night-
mare!

(4) Approve the Cates Landing
residential development — econom-
ically sound and fair to current own-
ers and assures balance.

(5) Approve residential zoning,
but send the project design back to
the district planning department and
design panel to give due considera-
tion to the many valid criticisms
already raised about the specifics of
this development proposal,

This last option is the only one
worth considering —- in the end we
will all be winners. We will have

‘demonstrated good fiscal manage-

ment, removed an’ industrial zone
from a predominantly residential
neighborhood, maintained . the bal-
ance. between preservation: and
growth and succeeded in turning an

eye-sore into an opportunity to open —

up ‘the waterfront for everyone: as

part of a development that our plan- ©

ning professionals will ensure will

be one that we are truly proud of. |

All at no cost to the taxpayers.
John Church °

; North Vancouver,

(MAILBOX POLICY.

“ LETTERS TO the editor must be

legible (preferebly typewritten) and

include your name, fuli'address 3 and a:

telephone number.

Submissions .can be faxed, to
985-2 2 04.

Surprise the one you love wich a lovely sce of Mabé Pearl earrings

from Swedish Jeweler. Regularly priced ar $595,”

_ This Christmas specially priced.at $395. including GST,

“As always, gift’ wrapping is complimentary with any purchase.

“Park Royal South 922 2255 : /
Pacific Centre Atrium /Upper | Level 682 6711

Sunday, December 10,.1995 - North Shore News -9 .

Cason VS) Dreetins YS: .
Best Wishes. for the we

Holidays and the New- Year!

Open House
Join me on December 15,}
4:00pm to 6:30pm

at
#306, 1497 Marine Dr.
West Vancouver

CY Dalton, hips.

West Vancouwer — Gupdano-