’ §- North Shore News - Sunday, October 15. 2000

West Van fi

Deana Lancaster

News Reporter
dlancaster@nsnews.com

DESPITE rising costs,
West Vancouver is still
going to mark the
beginning of the new
millennium with time.
: After facing down several
naysayers, atits Oct. 2 meeting
West Vancouver council decid
ed to approve costs for the
municipality’s millennium
project that are more_ than
twice the amount of the ‘origi-
nal estimate. |

The. project is a_ floral
clock -— to be 20 teet (6 m)
in diameter and slanted at a
25. degree angle. toward
» / Bellevue Avenue. Eight-foot
(2.4 m) hands will be pow-

surrounded by water.

Originally planned for
Ambleside Landing at the
foot of lth Street, next to
the Ferry Building, the clock
would have cost the munici-
pality about $77,000.

But residents complained.
Opponents said thar
Ambleside Landing was a
completed park and pointed
out that it had garnered
architectural awards. for its
design.

So the Select Committee
for District, Millennium

Projects began looking for’

another suitable location —
and found it one block west,

cred by a timepiece hidden :

beneath the flowers. Tk

The entire clock will be >

THE: ‘following 2 are "brief

summiaries of tepics on the §
agendas * of North Shore’

“municipalities: .

North | Vancouver «District _

, Oct. .16 at

7 p.m: — 2004:

Games Bid Committée dele-

i procedure: bylaw - re
practise. for... introducin;
“motions, rezoning bylaw, 94!

Lynn: Valley Rd.;-Edgemont

cighbourhood : zoning and

bdivision regulations; direct,”
“ fepresentation to the GVRD; ~
establishment : of. an animal ‘

- Special '.-meeting, -

Tuesday, Oct.-
Ty.

e thai Report. :
North: Vancouver...

sys .
- Esplanade; : tattoo shops.-i in:

: Lower Oe atouy

IC Summer.

ioral

at the foot of Lith Street.

Its an “ideal focation,”
said Mayor Ron Wood at the
meeting, explaining the com-
mittee’s choice. “It will be a
tourist attraction, and a ben-
efit to the community ... it
could put West Vancouver on
the map.” And since P5th
Street is a major artery, with a
clear view down to the water-
front, even traffic at a dis-
tance will get a look at the
clock.

The plot of land is unde-
veloped and before the clock
can be built there the site
must be prepared. Concrete
must be poured, and lights,

an electrical hook-up, ground
fault and drainage have to be
installed. With soils and sod,
the supply and installation &f
granite, plus furniture for the
site, the grand total now
comes to $177,361. The flo-
ral clock would cost approxi-
mately $10,000 annually to
maintain.

“Stop the clock ... before
it starts ticking,” said West
Vancouver resident Derrick
Hawkins, while complaining
that the costs could not be
justified.

But Coun. John Clark
pointed out that the munici-
paliry would have had to

spend money to develop the
park eventually anyway.

And according to Kevin
Pike, director of parks and
community services, the
amount to prepare the site is
no greater than the usual
custs associated with develop-
ing a park in the municipality.

“Eventually we would
have spent that, or perhaps
more than that. It depends
what you plan to do.”

another resident said she

didn’t want to see the clock -

built at_ 15th Street because
“children play ball and frisbee
there. People lie in the sun ...

It’s a sacred space, a green.

8th Street East 400 Biock —
Closure & Boulevard Crescent
Median Closure

WHERE: fate STREET EAST ;
To signalise the intersection of Lonsdale Avenue and 11th/8th Street it is’
proposed to close the 100 block. of 8th Street East near Lonsdale Avenue.
Two options a are being c considered.

THE CITY OF NORTH VANCOUVER NEEDS —
YOUR INPUT ON PROPOSED TRAFFIC CHANGES.

WH ERE: BOULEVARD CRESCENT.

The Ministry of Transportation and Highways and the, city of Nort th
Varicouver are cooperating ona -signal installétion at the Eastbound :
Highway 1-off ramp and Boulevard: Crescent. To make the signal *

_on Boulevard Crescent to Sutherland Avenue.

“ WE WANT YOUR HELP
here will: be a splay of posters at City Hall the week of October 16, 2000

“from: 6: 30 to8 00 p. m. to ask mn dfaat d dire ectlyin involved j in in dein S
- the schemes, and have & your say!

contact: Kevan Delaney at ~

983-7395.

For. further information please’

clock expense grows

space. (The clock) doesn’t fit
there by the wild ocean.”
Coun... Jean Fergusen
pointed out that council did-
n't have much more time to
debate the location and costs
of the clack. “There is some
urgency, as it is a miennium
project,” she said. The clock
is scheduled to start ticking
during a community celebra-
tion at midnight on Dee. 31.
“If we're going to do
something for the millenni-
um, it should be something
special,” Wood said. “Let's
think big on this.”: Council
voted unanimously to. sup-
port the extra funds. -

‘operate efficiently it is proposed’ to close the break in ‘the median