West Van assessments hiked by 37% RESIDENTIAL and _ business property assessments in West Vancouver are up an average of 37 and 14 per cent respectively, the municipality’s director of finance George Horwood informed West Vancouver District Council fast Monday. If council does not alter the tax distribution between business and residential, Horwood said, tax- payers with assessed property values over the above figures will have tax increases over the municipal average. Horwood urged West Vancouver residents to compare their individ- ual assessments with the 37 per cent average to determine possible property tax hikes. “For example, a_ residential assessment increase of 45 per cent will have a tax increase cight per cent higher than the average tax increase in 1989,’? Horwood said. Residents may appeal their assessments before the court of revision, which is ‘‘not a threaten- ing process,’’ Horwood said. According to Horwood, the Westmount and Chartwell areas will be hit with the largest increases because the rates there have been relatively low in recent years. And the British Properties, Westhill and Cedardale areas will also experience higher-than- average tax increases. “There are also higher increases where the value of the land is very high in proportion to the value of the building on it,’ said Horwood. Waterfront properties in Ambleside are good examples. Apartments in West Vancouver Business .............. 40 Classified Ads..........50 Dr. Ruth...............32 Faod............26.0..21 Lifestyles..............91 Sports ................ 13 By MAUREEN CURTIS Contributing Writer are experiencing lower assessment increases, a reflection of the de- mardi for single-family residences. Ald. Mark Sager expressed con- cern over the assessment and taxa- tion inequities that occur in the municipality. “The residential rate rises and falls unevenly and creates certain inequities,’’ Ald. Alex Brokenshire said. Horwood said the provincial assessment, which is based on market values, has created a wide range of variation, with some pro- perties experiencing a minimum 15 to 20 per cent increase and others (especially land without buildings on it) as high as 85 per cent. An increase in assessments or taxes is not a valid basis for ap- pealing a tax increase, but an assessed value far above property market value is. “Generally, the assessment should approximate what you could receive from a sale on the open market,” Horwood said. Council and the West Vancouver School Board have not yet set their taxes for 1989, They can vary the tax rate between the business and residential sectors at their discre- tion. TV Listings............ What's Going On........45 WEATHER Wednesday, cloudy with intermittent rain. Highs near 17°" A $900,000 covered pedestrian overpass is being built on North Vancouver City’s Esplanade to accommodate the growing pedestrian traffic generated by the ICBC building and Lonsdale Quay development. “It should also tie in nicely with the future development of the municipally owned lands between First and Esplanade, just west of Rogers Avenue,’’ North Van- couver City design engineer Tony Barber said Tuesday. Barber said a study conducted to see whether the area warranted a traffic light at the Esplanade and Rogers Avenue intersection found the light would totally disrupt cur- tent traffic patterns. The intersection, which handles substantial traffic volumes, has an unusual jog at Rogers Avenue. More elaborate than most over- passes, the structure being built will incorporate several design features, including a planter and glass canopy that will cover the overpass, but not completely By MAUREEN CURTIS Contributing Writer enclose it. Designed by Vancouver-based transportation consultants N.D. Lea and architects at North Van- couver’s Aitken Wreglesworth Associates Ltd., the overpass is be- ing built by Interland Contractors Ltd., which is also based in North Vancouver, Although the project’s comple- tion is slated for Jan. 31, 1989, Barber said the overpass may be substantially complete before that date. But the project is already behind schedule because of problems with ground conditions and setting the overpass’s support pilings. Barber said that erection of the 3 - Wednesday, October 12, 1988 - North Shore News NEWS photos Mike Wakelleld AN ARCHITECT'S rendering of the covered pedestrian overpass now being constructed on Esplanade. pre-cast beams will be done during early morning hours to minimize traffic disruptions. There are no plans, as yet, to develop the municipal lands in the area, although some sort of com- mercial/retail/residential mix is expected. A little off the sides, please THE WINDSOR Second- ary School football team got down to some serious work last week and teckl- ed a variety of events to raise funds for upgraded sports equipment. Above, Andrea Noonaz races against time and spoon feeds Nolan Sackney as much Jello as she can within an allotted time — an intensive intestinal workout. Left, Craig Norris is Mohawked by Fred Kirby of Kirby’s Saion in North Van- couver. Students paid S50¢ each to view these feats of derring-do; $90 was rais- ed. This is the first year Windsor has had a feot- ball team since 1984 and team membess have scheduled a number of fundraisers to ensure the sport continues at the school. Spills chronicled From page 1 styrene monomer. The Cassiar Mining Corp. ter- minal is listed as shipping by coastal and deep sea vessels avia- tion fuel and gasoline. Farther east the Lynnterm terminal handles so- dium chlorate, and Dow Chemical ships ethylene dichloride, hydro- chloric acid and caustic soda. The Canadian Occidental termi- nal ships chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, sulphuric acid, sulphur dioxide, and caustic soda, while the Erco termina! ships sodium chlorate. A listing of the most recent local marine and marine inter- modal spills to 1986 includes a 600-litre spill of gasoline in North Vancouver due to a fracture in a filler line connected to a barge. During a Sept. 1983 terminal transfer in North Vancouver, 4,500 litres of sodium hydroxide overflowed from a storage tank during filling. In July 1983, 14,000 litres of sodium hydroxide also overflowed from a storage tank during filling. In 1981, in North Vancouver, 45,500 litres of sodium chlorate Spilied out when a pipe burst dur- ing barge loading.