Public forum tackles rental housing crunch ABOUT 50 people showed up to a special policy meeting on rental housing in North Vancouver City Tuesday night. The subdued audience listened to briefs presented by development representatives that called for more incentives to encourage developers to build rental housing. Eric Martin, a director of the Urban Development Ins-‘tute, which represents more than 200 B.C. developers, said *‘lt is impor- tant that the development approval process be assessed.’* Richard Stachley, the director of development services for British Columbia Housing and Mortgage Corporation (BCHMC), agreed that the review process for devel- Opment must be sped up. “If two years ure not spent go- ing around in circles, it would save (the developers) a lot of money,”’ Staehley said. The saving, he im- plied, could be passed along to the tenants. The groups represented also suggested that awarding bonusing incentives of extra height or densi- ty could be used in exchange for the developer allocating rental housing units as part of their pro- posal. “Grant bonusing incentives to developers (who) include rental housing as part of their develop- ment proposal,”’ urged Martin. District resident David Schreck, who said he spoke as an economist, former renter and can- didate for provincial politics, sug- gested that bonusing was a way to set a reasonable income mix for the city. “We don’t want to see low- income slums,”’ he said. *‘Neither do we want to see exclusive con- dominium developments. (An in- come mix) is best accomplished if you have some sort of bonusing,”' “Tf you can’t do anything for us now, should we move (to another municipality)?’’ —wN. Shore resident sofs 2 « said Schreck. Staehley said BCHMC believed in the free market system, and that the current crisis was one of the fluctuations in a cycle that repeated itself every 10 years. (Although) it’s difficult for those caught in the pinch,”’ he conceded. Staehley suggested a Jong-term planning effort such as zoning land for rental housing would help. But Michael Walker of the Ca- nadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation said he couldn’t see the rental crisis easing. “1 don’t personally believe we're in a 10-year cycle,’* he said. ‘‘I see no sign of (the influx) changing.”’ Walker said one on-going way to provide affordable housing in the city would be to set up an incentive plan for current landlords. “The city,” he said, ‘‘could set up an incentive (even a municipal erant in lieu of taxes) so that ex- isting landlords keep affordable rents.”” Walker said affordable housing could be defined as a percentage of an individual's salary. “No individual should be paying more than 30 per cent of their gross Salary for shelter,’” he said. Several speakers encouraged council to stand its ground on can- traversial issues such as illegal suites and pressuring the provincial government to return with a rent review or rent control system. Schreck urged council to main- tain its ‘tolerant position’? with respect to secondary suites. He also said it would require ac- tion by the provincial government to provide some short-term solu- tions to the rental problem, and suggested a rent review or rent controls be instituted. District resident Ken Handel said North Vancouver City was facing problems similar to those in North Vancouver District. He said the two municipalities should band together to combat the rental problem. “*The district is second only to Surrey in the amount of land available. Council should work with the district to make these lands avaitable,’* said Handel. But tenants, some of them fac- ing eviction, remained worried about their futures, and were not convinced that council was finding any answers, “If you can’t do anything for us now, should we move (to another municipality)?"? asked one resi- dent. MOUNTAINS NEAR FULL OPERATION Snow boosts local skiing that HEAVY snowfalls earlier this week on local mountains have reversed gloomy predictions of a lost ski season. As of Thursday, Grouse Moun- tain’s snow base had almost tripled from che mountain’s 64-centimetre base measured last Sunday, jump- ing 105 centimetres to a 169- centimetre total. “It started Sunday night and it hasn’t stopped,’ said Grouse Mountain’s mountain manager Mike Corcoran. He said 90 per cent of the mountain was now open to skiing, with all ski-lifts — the Cut, Blue- berry, Peak and Inferno — operating. “The only runs we don’t have open are those back runs because there’s been so much snow,”’ Cor- coran said, explaining that Purgatory, Inferno and Hadey’s runs were closed because of the avalanche hazard but would likely be open by the weekend. Cypress Bowl, too, is near full operation. Its snow base jumped to 172 centimetres on Thursday from its 108-centimetre base on Sunday. By ELIZABETH COLLINGS News Reporter Eighty per cent of the mountain is open for business, with its Sunrise and Eagle chairlifts Operating and its Sky chair predicted to be open for the weekend. “We're just about hitting nor- mal now,’’ said Marylou Troman, Cypress’ alpine office manager. She added that the mountain’s base is comparable to what it receives during an average year of snowfall. Although Cypress wouldn't release its skier traffic totals for the season, Troman said the numbers are still ‘‘quite a_ bit down’’ because Cypress was closed during the lucrative Christmas season. ‘*We won't make up for Christmas, but I think it'll work out,’’ she said. ‘‘There’s a pent-up demand for skiing.”* Grouse reports approxi- mately 2,000 skiers daily (including ski school skiers) are using the mountain, but Corcoran said Grouse still has a way to go before it reaches its regular snowfall. “‘We’re real, real close now,’ he said. ‘‘We’re 40 or 50 centimetres off where you would normally sit, but it’s still plenty of snow and it’s still snowing.”’ Mount Seymour has also rolled back into the ski season with a 170-centimetre base on Thursday, up from 50 centimetres on Sunday. “We've actually probably had about 150 centimetres (since Sun- day) but it packs down,”’ said Seymour ski director Alex Douglas. ‘‘Most years we’re hover- ing around 200 to 300 centimetres. This is more than enough snow. Once you get over 100 centimetres, that basically covers all the little trees and opens up the runs.”’ With the opening of Brocton chairlift today, Seymour will be running all chairs and have all ski runs open. CONNELL ADVANCES TO GRAND SLAM FINAL Tennis ace makes history NORTH VANCOUVER tennis ace Grant Connell is making tennis history as he and long-time doubles part- ner Glen Michibata of Toronto become the first Canadian men ever to ad- vance to a Grand Slam ten- nis final. Seeded 13th in tournament in doubles, Connell and Michibata defeated the number-one seeds Jim Pugh and Rick Leach of the U.S., 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 2-6 6-4 in the Jou- bles semi-finals of the Australian Open yesterday. The win represented the second time Connell and Michibata have beat Pugh and Leach, a leading doubles squad. On their way to the semis, the Canadian doubles veterans knock- ed out Frenchmen Jean Fleurian and Henri Laconte, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, §-2 in the quarter-finals. Al approximately 7 p.m. tonight Vancouver time (Saturday in Melbourne), Michibuta and Con- nell will be playing Danie Visser and Pieter Aldridge of South Africa in the doubles finals. Visser and Aldridge were ranked a respective fourth and fifth in the world as men’s doubles players as of Jan. $5 in the ATP tour rank- ings. Pugh and Leach were ranked third and second. Connell and Michibata will be in Vancouver to play doubles on the Canadian: Davis Cup team at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, Feb. 2 to 4. Tennis Canada will announce Feb. 1° whether Connell has also been chosen to play singles in the Davis Cup tourney against Brazil. 3 - Friday, January 26, 1990 - North Shore News NEWS photo Cindy Goodman THANKS TO volunteer efforts of members of the Canadian Progress Club, Vancouver-Evergreen chapter, $6,000 was raised at the Lons- dale Quay Tree of Giving for the North Vancouver Christmas Bureau. Pictured are (back row, left to right): Shirley Devine, Jacqueline Howe, Liz Harrison, Penny O,Rourke (president), Irene Rutton and Kelly Rodvik. Front row, left to right are: Maureen Williams, Melton Douglas and Pat Orr (chairperson of the North Vancouver Christmas Bureau). See story, page 10. Badger Road plan garners mixed reviews A NORTH Vancouver District plan to rezone a parcel of land in Deep Cove to park land was met with mixed reac- tion at a Tuesday night public hearing. wants to rezone the property at the north end of Badger Road from its current single-family residential zone (RS1) to parks, recreation and open space zone (PRO), consistent with the Deep Cove Official Communi- ty Plan which designates the site as park land. But the Caledonia Avenue Citi- zens and Owners Committee (CACOC) want council to scrap their proposed rezoning bylaw, and, instead, allow area property owners to extend Badger Road through the parcel of land so they can subdivide eight large lots fron- ting Caledonia Avenue, which runs parallel to Badger Road. The eight property owners hold lots averaging about 7,800 square feet each. CACOC spokesman Allan Ram- say said there is not enough room for area residents to park their cars along Caledonia Avenue, and an extension of Badger Road would ease the problem. “We still have a very serious parking problem on Caledonia,”’ he said. ‘It (the street) is 19 feet wide from curb to curb, whereas Badger is 27 to 28 feet wide curb to curb. Council's intention to desig- nate that area as park land is commendable. But to rezone this would forever deny us an ability to put in the best option for the community.’” But Badger Road resident Linda Jelly argued that it is important to keep as much park land as possible in Deep Cove for future genera- tions. Another resident said he was not against development, but against bad development. Council, he said, should only allow certain kinds of development to take place in the area, adding that the park land was a good thing. Another Deep Cove resident, Terra Houghton, said the eizht property owners should be allowed to subdivide their properties if they Council By SURJ RATTAN Contributing Writer want to, saying they have not been “given a fair shake.”’ Resident Brian Bagnall said he was ‘‘just shocked that council would bend to a bunch of tree huggers,”’ while another resident, Michael Baker, said it was ‘‘abso- lutely crucial'’ that council keep a significant amount of park land in the area. Chuck Band, a North Van- couver District fireman, said he was ‘‘a little disgusted’’ with the way area residents have been treated over the issue. He also argued that an extension of Badger Road would make it easier for firefighters to battle any house fires in the area. Ramsay said his group has been after the Badger Road extension since March 1988. Peter Watts, a legal advisor to some of the eight property owners, said council should ‘‘seriously consider the amount of time these owners have been working on this.”” “This is not an either-or situa- tion,’”? he said. ‘‘Both (park and subdivision) can proceed. I would ask council to look at the history of the dealing here. It is possible to accommodate various interests.”’ Others argued that by extending Badger Road, council would also be creating an access road for the park. Ramsay said most of his com- mittee members would like to split their lots in two, sell off the homes fronting Caledonia Avenue, and then build their ‘dream homes’’ on lots fronting the proposed ex- tension of Badger Road. The property owners have said they are also willing to pick up the cost of extending the road. Council will make a final deci- sion on the rezoning bylaw at a later date.