Liens Say Elementary Scheel (Not Pictured on Map)
250 Sayview Road, Lions Bay

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Election 1999

Board, district wrangle over land, funding issues

Catherine Barr

Contributing Writer

SCHOOL board issues are often

linked to larger municipal affairs.

But in West Vancouver, the past

three years have proved toe be more

challenging than usual as council and
- school board continue to clash.

Land use, declining enrolment, integration
of services and improved communications are
all part of the mix in West Vancouver Schoo!
District 45. ;

. But just like any sibling rivalry, it’s no secret
that these two family members don’t get along.
The past three years have been punctuated with
episodes of disagreement and confrontation.

_Still, according to schoo! board chairman David
Stevenson, the relaticnship is on the mend.

$3 how did it all unfold? And, more impor-
tantly, why is council keeping such a close eye
on its litte brother?

Some say the topic of land use and develop-
ment has always been an issue. Others believe it
thrust itself into the forefront about three years

- ago when the Hillside school site was demol-
ished and turned into high priced residential
lots.

‘The school board of the day made a deal
with the provincial government to develop the
Hillside site in Piet for the money to build
Rockridge middle school.

. a To date, only about haif of the lots have sold

* and many of them for icss than their original

anticipated value.

Once afl the jots are sold, the province and
the school district will meet to decide how the
profit or foss from the development will be
shared.

On Jan. 25 of this year, the land use and
development/re-development issue came to a
head. Municipal council decided te take zoning
control of all the public lands now entrusted to
the schooi board by redesignating themto pub-
lic assembly/schooi_use only. The rezoning
means that there will be no more Hillside-like
devclopment deals without extensive council
involvement and 2 public hearing.

West Vancouver’s school board opposed the
decision claiming that the rezoning was a form
of “down-zoning” and would cost it over $160
million in estimated band values.

Trustees also argued that the new rezoning
bylaw would kill any,/ail of the board’s future
plans to negotiate poteniial public-private part-
nerships.

The school board said council’s fears regard-
ing a lack of public involvement in school dis-
trict land use were unwarranted. An extensive
public process, it said, would be part of any re-
development process, just as it said had been
the case in the Hillside dcal.

Prior to the Jan. 25 public hearing, full-page
newspaper ads were purchased by the school
district and letters were sent home with stu-
dents in an effort to win public support for the
school board and its position.

Nevertheless, with over 108 acres of public
land at stake (see map above), West Vancouver
District council was not willing to gamble any
further.

Sunday. October 3, 1999 - North Shore News ~ 3

Facilities Map of
School District #45 West Vancouver

(REZ==> Provincial Average

The land was subsequendy zezoned by
council and the school board had its wrists
slapped for promoting the issue so extensively.

“We didn’t see it the same way and the

litical process played itself out,” said school
Board chairman Stevenson. “I think there was 2
financial opportunity that a future school board
may have wanted to use that is no longer avail-
able.”

But with council now firmly in conirol of
the public process, the school board wants to
continuc to look 2t developments that it says
will provide the districts students and taxpayers
with sound financial returns.

With so many community projects vying for
attention these days, it’s clear that all of the dis-
trict’s land is under scrutiny.

Maggie Pappas, chairman of the West
Vancouver Arts Centre Trust (WVACT), is still
pursuing land options to build 2 world-class
arts faciliry — a facility that councii has just
endorsed in principle.

The WVACT received a lot of attention car-
lier this year when the group’s interest in the
land at Ambleside Park and 13th Street raised a
rackus with local soccer players.

The Ambleside land is no longer part of
WVACT?’s plans. And now the group has been

1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1S99/00°
GIEKEEE> West Vancouver —i-—- Students
NEWS graphic Norisa Anderson

rekindling its interest in West Vancouver sec-
ondary school’s south campus.

The Inglewood site has always been part of
the consideration process for WVACT. —
Meanwhile, the school board has said that the
public will have a chance to voice their opinion
on the issue as it develops.

“We just want to be able to investigate to
attempt to look for a cooperative opportunity .
issue with (arts),” said Stevenson. “There's so
many immense political hurdles (to jump)
before this.(arts centre) can happen.”

The soccer and playing field issue that arose -
as a result of the WVACT arts centre proposal
has also come home to roast with the school
board. A shortage of ficlds has led so discus-
sions with the school board and things may be
starting to change. According to officials, some
school playing fields might have lights installed
so that the soccer groups can use them.

In the end, it’s usually the moncy that drives ..
the issuc. Recent projections by school board
officials reveal that since the early 1990s. West
Vancouver has been sulYering 2 steady decline
in enrolment, which, in short, means: less
moncy for the school district.

See Lower panes