- Developer seeks
exemption from
steep-slope bylaw

Caulfeild-area residents fear
greenbelt, trails threatened

THE LAST major developer of the Caulfeild Plateau
lands in West Vancouver is seeking a court order exemp-
ting it from Official Community Plan bylaws dealing with
the hazards of development on steep slopes and the pro-
tection of the environment on difficult terrain.

Martin Corp. Lid. is claiming
that a 1978 land-use contract be-
tween the district-and developers
should establish the only devel-
opment guidelines for the land in
question.

But residents adjacent to the
approximately 10 remaining
Caulfeild subdivisions are worried
about a possible Jack of greenbelt
protection and a dedicated trail
system for the area,

The lands, which will be devel-
oped in stages over the next few
years, lie to the west and north of
Caulfeild elementary school, 4685
Keith Rd., between- Keith Road
and the Upper Levels Highway.

Approximately 13 area residents
‘ gathered at the school on Tuesday
night at the first public meeting of
the. newly formed Caulfeild
Ratepayers Association (CRA).

Peter Calder, a civil engineer,
told: the meeting that there had
been an active property owner’s
association ‘‘formed in the mid-
to late °70s over concerns for the
development of -the plateau lands
and, later, the Caulfeild Shopping
Centre.”

Calder. said the effect of the
1978 land-use ‘contract between
the district and ‘‘five or six devel-
opers’’ was to increase the number
of land parcels available from ap-
proximately 560 to 810.

In, return, said Calder, West
Vancouver was to be offered
“42% of the area for greenbelt or
park to preserve the characteristics
of the rugged area.”

Charged Calder: ‘‘The bluff
areas were to be maintained as
ecological reserves..1 don’t believe
that has happened.

“Trees in the greenbelt were not
to: be cut without park manager
approval. 1 don’t believe that has
. happened, Lo,
’ “A trail ‘systern was to be pro-
vided: for each. subdivision and
connected to the main

trail ©

By Martin Millercnip
Contributing writer

system. That has certainly not oc-
curred.””

Calder asked how developed
Jand parcels could lie within des-
ignated greenbelt areas.

He concluded that ‘‘on no sub-
division to date has council elected
to dedicate greenbelt.”

Victor Durman, a 17-year resi-
dent of the area stressed, ‘‘We are
not here to stop the development.
That cannot happen.”’

But he lamented the dilution of
a greenbelt ‘‘that was meant to
buffer each of us.”

“One of the reasons given (by
council) for not taking the
greenbelt for $1 for a trail system
is the cost. If necessary, I'll give
them the dollar,’’ said Durman.

When the 1978 land-use con-
tract was. created, the district’s
advisory planning commission
urged council that ‘‘ownership of
the green space must be held in
the municipality to ensure its per-
petual use for this purpose.’’

John Savage, past-president of
the Caulfeild Property Owner’s
Association, described Martin
Corp. Ltd. as ‘‘probably the best
of the developers.

“They have acted responsibly.
They should not be criticized; they
should be asked to cooperate with
the municipality.

“The irresponsibility occurred
to a significant degree by staff
planners,’’ said Savage. ,

But surveyor Bill Chapman,
who has plotted all but two of the
subdivisions on the Caulfeild
Plateau. for Martin Corp.. Ltd.,
told the meeting that the scale of
surveying necessary for a complete
trail system could not be done un-
til each parcel was prepared for
development.

See Voted page §

hot weather havoc

THE NORTH Vancouver RCMP are gearing up for
potential problems traditionally associated with the
arrival of hot summer weather.

And they warn that their
tolerance level for lawbreakers
will be very low.

‘We're going to vigorously
and aggressively pursue any vi-
olations of the law. We do it
all the time, but we do it more
in the summer because we get a
bunch of fools going around
raising havoc for everyone else
who is enjoying themselves,’’
said Insp. Peter Wlodarczak.

He added that the pclice will
arrest violators of any bylaw or
provincial statute.

The police, .he said, will
crack down on scofflaws who
make disturbing noise, damage

' parks, litter, disobey signs and
enter parks when they are clos-
ed. : .

In addition, a two-man

RCMP bicycle squad will be on

the street. The squad, along

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

with two auxiliary constables
on bicycle patrol, will be mak-

_ ing the rounds all summer.

“‘They will have access to
where vehicles can’t. go. The
trouble starts with the good
weather and people coming to
areas to party. As the trouble
picks up, we pick up our en-
forcement,’’ said Wlodarczak.

“It’s a safety factor.’ The
more people drink, the more
problems they create. We try to
be tolerant with people, but we
draw the line when people start
creating havoc.

‘Our line. of tolerance
decreases when people create
problems,”’ said Wlodarczak.

; a ai
HN det S > gad

Sunday, June 13, 1993 - North Shore News ~ 3

~ NEWS photo Nell Lucente

CAPILANO-HOWE Sound MP Mary Collins shovels sod as some onlookers share thy moment
during a ceremony that marked the start of construction on Environment Canada’s En-
vironmental Science Centre at Maplewood Flats, adjacent to Maplewood Mudflats In North

Vancouver District.

Environment centre sod turned

CONSTRUCTION ON a

$14 million Environmental

Science Centre near the Maplewood Mudflats in North
Vancouver District is expected to begin this summer and
‘be completed by the fali of 1994,

Capilano-Howe Sound Tory
MP Mary Collins was among the
dignitaries at a Friday, June 4,
sod-turning ceremony at the
2.5-hectare (6.l acre)
Maplewood Flats site, which is
just south of the 2400-block of
Dollarton Highway.

“Our current facilities are in-
adequate for our purposes,”’
Environment Canada spokesman
Paul Kluckner said from the
department’s West - Vancouver
office.

The new centre will
solidate work done at one West
Vancouver and two North Van-
couver environment offices.

con-,

By Anna Marie D'Angelo
News Reporter

Approximately 30 people, in-
cluding research scientists and
technicians, will conduct regional
environmental work for B.C.
and the Yukon at the new cen-
tre.

Some of the environmental
work involves:
® water-quality
shelifish;
@effluent and coinmercial-
product testing for toxicity;

@ laboratory monitoring of

testing for

eniergencies such as chemical or
oil spills.

Maplewood Flats is im-
mediately west of the
Maplewood Mudflats.

The abandoned industrial site
has been used for a variety of
purposes in the past, including a
small airplane strip during the
1960s.

The mudflats are known to be
an important resting area for
migrating waterfowl, ~ \

Kluckner said the science centre
has been in the planning stages
for three years and is designed to
be environmentally friendly.

He added that the centre
would enable Environment
Canada to do more research and
development and also promote
work with universities and. the
private sector.

Council approves Wagg Creek

NORTH VANCOUVER
City Council voted in favor
of a controversial 42-unit
seniors housing project at
its meeting Monday, June
7.

NORTH VANCOUVER
CITY COUNCIL

by Stephen Wisentha!

Buron Development originally
proposed a 52-unit complex on
the site bordering Wagg Creek
Park, at the southwest corner of
21st Street and Chesterfield
Avenue, but many area residents
were strongly opposed.

The smaller development will
have a floor space ratio of 1.3
times the lot size, compared to the

87 Business

Mi Cocktails & Caviar
@ Comics

Editorial Page

§% Fashion.

leads to downsizing

‘Park seniors housing project —

Resident opposition

of plans _

4&4 Buron agreed to reduce the
number of floors facing the park
to three from four. #9

1,5 floor space ratio originally
proposed.

During discussions with council
in the weeks after residents ex-
Pressed their concerns at a public
hearing, Buron agreed to reduce
the number of floors facing, the
park to three from four.

Coun, Rod Clark was the only
councillor to vote against the
revised proposal.

Clark said the floor space ratio
Should have been no more than

@ What's Going On

1.0 times the lot size. The ratio is
in line with buildings located on
the other side of Chesterfield
Avenue, :
“I don’t believe the process
which the developer has followed
was a correct process,’ he said.

The bylaws permitting the de-
velopment to proceed passed their
first three readings and will come
up for final adoption at a future
meeting.

Weather .

Monday, mainly sunny. Highs,
21°C, low 10°C.

Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0037238