NEWS photo Cindy Goodman HISTORICAL FLIGHT: Sunrise Balloons, sponsored by Minute Muffler, lifted off from Grouse Mountain at dawn on Thursday morning to attempt the first TransCanadian Hot Air Balloon Mountain Grossing. Flyers Glen Morison and Kelvin Nielsen (supported by crew Kirby Mclean and Paul Nielsen) expected to travel a minimum distance of 700 km in less than eight hours, en- counter wind speeds in excess of 100 km, and reach altitudes of 16,000 ft. Seniors’ project raises concerns ‘Spot-zoning’ charges levelled at NV district ‘AN ATTEMPT by the Capilano Lions Housing Society to secure an assisted seniors’ housing project in the Norgate area led to allegations of ‘‘spot rezon- ing’? by neighboring landowners at a Tuesday night public hearing. At issue is the future of five lels,on the north side of West {Gth Street adjacent to Brilgman Avenue which could be 1ezoned to a new category (Ri4) if council approves the bylinw. . - Zite proposed RH4 zoning would allow a density of 66 units per acre, which is approx- By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer all be one bedroom and ap- proximately 600 sq. ft. Seventeen underground park- ing stalls would be provided, with access from Bridgman: District parking requirements are usually two per unit, but Save-On-Foods BRIDGMAN AVENUE © MARINE DRIVE . PEMBERTON AVENUE PROPOSED SENIORS’ HOUSING SITE _ imately !£5% more thar previously allowed. Nevertheless, planning staff support the new zoning, saying that there are several positive mitigating factors, including an active relationship with the Capilano Lions Housing pro- ject that is located just across Bridgman from the proposed site. If the zoning is approved, the Lions will seek funding for a 36-unit, three-level apart- ment building. The units ‘would @ Automotives........... @ Classified Ads ® Ecolnfo W@ Editorial Page MHome & Garden 90% of the residents of the proposed project would be over The district does not own all the lots in question, but will seek to acquire the remainder before leasing the fand package to the Lions if zoning and funding fall into place. “It is this non-public process that has angered Horst Dam- mholz, who has acquired inter- ests or ownership in the re- maining lots on the north side of West 16th and had hoped to index 1 Mailbox 33 a NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL bid on the five lots in question when they came onto the mar- ket. “IT have made it clear for many years to (district) staff that I would like multi-family (zoning) for the purpose of seniors’ housing for the entire block,’’ said Dammholz. ‘‘This is. spot rezoning of a single- family street and does not give the same advantage of higher density tu the neighbors.’’ Jack Bright, the owner of two lots across West 16th from the proposed development, also said he objected to spot rezon- ing. He said the area required overall. rezoning to a higher density. ; David Knee, president of the Norgate Park Community Association, agreed that uniform density for the block would be preferred by the ma- jority of owners, 60% of whom are non-resident. But Knee said the associa- tion, which is presently con- sulting with district planners on an overall plen for the area, would have suggested an RHI zoning (one unit per 1,200 sq. ft. of lot, or almost half the proposed density) for the block if it had been asked. One other potential prsbiem with the proposed development was noted by Garth Mossop, © who owns a business on Marine Drive that is primarily _ serviced by the lane. between his property and West 16th. Mossop told council that parking and access in the area is a continuing problem; he said if the seniors’ complex goes ahead its vehicular access should be moved away from Bridgman and that the whole building should be set closer to West 16th than proposed. Council will debate the issues Monday at its policy and plan- ning meeting. Weatker Saturday and Sunday periods of rain. Highs 7°C, Lows 2°C. Friday, January 17, 1992 - North Shore News - 3 Organizers of abduction worth billions, suspect informed police Pattison kidnapping trial A RECORDED interview describing the organizers of the Cynthia Kilburn kidnapping as well-connected people worth billions of dollars was deemed admissible evidence this week in the trial of two men at B.C. Supreme Court. Kilburn, the daughter of West Vancouver millionaire Jimmy Pat- tison, was abducted in North Vancouver on Dec. 21, 1990. Chadwick Shayne Mulvahill, 21, has been charged with kidnapping, extortion, unlawful confinement and possession of stolen property in connection with the abduction. Christian Snelgrove, 20, faces the same charges minus the count of possessing stolen property. .Three juveniles charged with kidnapping have already been sentenced, and Sheldon Frederick Kwan, 19, of North Vancouver, was fined $2,500 last Friday in North Vancouver provincial court for possessing money related to the kidnapping of Kilburn. On the morning of Dec. 21 sev- eral young people broke into Kilburn’s North Vancouver home, blindfolded her and drove her to an undisclosed location. Later that day Pattison, follow- ing instructions from the kidnap- pers, gave $200,000 in cash to Kilburn’s husband who dropped it at the Bay department store in downtown Vancouver. Kilburn was released at the north end of Lonsdale Avenue that evening. On Dec. 22 the kidnapping suspects -— six males and a female — had been arrested and were in custody. The North Vancouver: RCMP cited a prolonged spending spree of the marked ransom money as one of the main reasons for the suspects’ rapid arrest. The Supreme Court trial began this week detailing Mulvahill’s alleged participation in the kid- napping scheme (according to the RCMP, Mulvahill picked up the ransom money and initiated the spending spree). A taped interview between Mulvahill and two RCMP officers the morning after Mulvahill’s ar- rest was played for Mr. Justice K.E. Meredith on Monday. The frequently distraught Mulvahill was heard asking the officers for ‘‘protective custody, because 1 want to live a little longer after what I say.” Although he didn’t reveal names or specifics, Mulvahill alluded to a group of people besides those arrested who masterminded the Kilburn kid- napping. “They have a lot of contacts, billions of dollars in their ac- counts,’’ he said. Mulvahill said he’d been coerc- ed into picking up the ransom me. money on the evening of Dec. 21, but that cohorts scheduled to take | the money from him never showed at their designated location. Fearing that the cohorts would accuse him of bungling the heist, Mulvahill used some of the ran- som money “‘to buy a few suits, a guitar, and start a life somewhere, maybe in another country.”” (Published accounts of the ar- rest list expensive shoes, gold wat- ches, amplifiers and feather jackets in addition to Mulvahill’s recollection of purchased goods.) RCMP Const. Frank Campbell By Robin Grunet Contributing Writer described to the court how he and a colleague followed Mulvahili as he and other individuals spent the &4 He said he wasnt in control of his life and was scared of his involvement a RCMP Const. Frank Campbell ransom money. Campbell arrested Mulvahill in a Park Royal Shopp- ing Centre tailor shop. “hte expressed shock and fasci- nation concerning how we found him at that location,’’ Campbell said. ‘“‘He said he wasn’t in con- trol of his life and was scared of his involvement with ‘the other people’, but wouldn't elaborate.”’ In subsequent taped interviews, Mulvahill, a Prince George native with no fixed address, revealed that his life had been ruled by his co-conspirators for two years, that they’d vecruited him repeatediy for ‘‘delivery jobs’’ and had on one occasion stripped him and beaten him with a baseball bat to ensure his continued ser- vices. . a On Tuesday, Mulvahill took the stand and described his incarcera- tion in. the RCMP North Van- couver detachment’s holding cell from Dec. 22 to 23. “It was the coldest time of the year and I wasn’t given a blanket or a mattress until after the se- cond (tape) interview,” Mulvahill said. . Campbell encouraged him to cite names and details of the kid- napping plot by mentioning that the other suspects had ‘‘named people who would state against Mulvahill’s defence counsel! re- quested that Justice Meredith dis- count the recording as evidence on the basis that Mulvahill had been induced by the RCMP to make a statement. After an hour of delib- eration, Meredith deemed the re- cording admissible evidence. Although an Il-man jury was called to trial Thursday, certain inadmissible evidence (in the form of ‘‘narrative hearsay’’ from three other witnesses) wili be heard pri- vately by Meredith. . The six-week trial continues.