13 - Sunday, March £9, 1989 - North Shore News DEVELOPER PROPOSES TO REPLACE DUPLEXES WITH SINGLE HOMES Edgemont tenants plead to stay TENANTS OF four duplexes on Edgemont Boulevard pleaded with North Vancouver District Council at a recent public hearing to delay any decision on development of their complex in the hopes of finding a way to remain in their **homes’’. The public hearing concerned an application by architect Graham Crockart on behalf of Mountain’s Edge Development Ltd. to establish a siting area for cight single-family homes at 3759-85 Edgemont Blvd., near Capilano Road. The site has been the subject of much planning controversy since March 1988, when Crockart ap- plied to rezone to RG3 from RMI the 1.3 acres currently under review, together with property at 3695 Bluebonnet Rd. That proposal would have allowed 28 units to be built, but was subsequently reduced to 22 units by the developer before con- sideration by council members, who rejected it Aug. 22. After a second public informa- tion meeting by the developers in October, a revised proposal for 18 units was aiso rejected by council Nov. 7. Mountain’s Edge no longer in- cludes the southern parcel of land in its development proposal. Crockart explained: “One of the concerns raised at a previous public meeting was a possible Eink-up with Bluebonnet Road. The of the southerly site absolutely precludes that.’ Joyce Battershill, whose proper- No obligation. By MARTIN MILLERCHIP Contributing Writer ty adjoins the proposed develop- ment, said the mass of the new houses would block sunlight and sky views. “The neighborhood is mostly two-storey houses with flat roofs or one-storey ranchers. These buildings will top existing houses by nine feet, mostly by roof pitch. I would like to see 2 Community Plan for our area before any more piecemeal development is done,’’ Battershill said. Responded Crockart: ‘‘It’s my opinion that very little shadow will be cast on neighboring properties. In our design we have been con- scious of the impact of the devel- opment on the street. There are only two units facing the street and a height of 25 feet is certainly not an exceptional height. We have dropped the roof slope to prevent any active use of the attic space in response to neighborhood con- cern.’* Kent Handel, representing the 24 tenants in the existing eight duplexes, urged council to give the tenants time to investigate the pos- sibility of forming a co-op ‘‘to give ourselves management of the property.”’ Handel said rent was $580 a month exclusive of utilities and had not been raised for almost three years. He alleged nothing but “emergency work” had been done on the exterior of the buildings in order to justify development. Handel also pointed out that the average length of tenancy was I! years, with the longest rental standing at 23 years. ‘“We are not a transient group. All interior dec- orating, the appliances, carpeting, gardening, new decks and fences we have done ourselves. This is our home. I myself have paid $50,000 in rent to stay here."’ Continued Handel: ‘‘No more people are going to be housed than are already housed and 24 people are going to be looking for ac- commodation in a rental housing market that has a 0.2% vacancy tate, where a comparable dwelling will cost twice what we currently pay even if we could find them.’’ Handel concluded by voicing a common fear that because of the upward spiral of housing prices fuelled by offshore money, ‘‘Even if we pack our tents and get another place, the whole thing may happen again.” Mayor Marilyn Baker wondered why the residents had waited this long to intervene in the process. In a later interview, Donna Madsen, one of the affected te- nants, explained, ‘‘It wasn’t until it (the development) came down to eight units that we realized it wasn't sold.’” Mr. Kelsey of Mountain’s Edge development, confirmed at the hearing that an option agreement was in place and that he did not have ownership. ‘‘We have never spoken directly to any of the resi- dents, at the request of the present owner,'’ Kelsey said. Kelsey refused to comment on the decision and even declined to verify his name to a reporter. Council voted to adjourn the hearing to March 20 for staff comment on the height and design proposal and its impact on neighboring properties. CHARLES G, STEIN 986-8600 #300-233 W.1st, North Vancouver Gallery Grand Opening Sz Now In Progress. 20% Off All Thomasville Furniture. Entez to Win Beautiful Thomasville Furniture. | er | 4240 Manor Street Burnaby, B.C. (1/2 block west of Villa Sheraton Hotel) 435-5566 Solid Ash Construction — Size 63W x 26AW x 33H. Finished in a light wash to bring out the full grain of the hardwood. Now Two Big Locations CANADA’S LARGEST THOMASVILLE GALLERY Cllies THOMASVILLE GALLERY SALE APPLIES AT BOTH STORES Monday to Saturday 9 am. to 5 p.m, Sunday 12 Noon to 5 p.m. 1080 Mainland Street Vancouver, B.C. Main Floor The Yale Town Galleria Bldg. 685-8414