Consultants bring overview of Lions Gate Bridge options to WVD Council WEST VANCOUVER District Coun. Allan Williams has added his own idea for a new Burrard Inlet crossing to the dozens that. have alre: idy been proposed: link Lonsdale Avenue to Vancouver, WEST VANGOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL By Maureen Curtis Williams proposed that a cross- ing be run from the foot of the main North Vancouver City thoroughfare over to Vancouver following a First Narrows crossing presentition made to West Vancouver District Council on Monday night by ND. Lea Associates representative Brian Wallace. “Why are you focusing on schemes that would assemble all the taffic in the Capilana area and dump it all on Georgia Street?” Williams asked. But Wallace said that Williams’ plan would cost about $2 billion and destroy several acres of proper- ty, It would also route North Shore traffic through Vancouver's Chinatown and Strathcona areas. According to Wallace, most of the traffic crossing Lions Gate Lower Lonsdale’s future plan debated NORTH VANCOUVER City ‘Council entertained a packed gallery Monday night as Lower Lonsdale residents came to hear city development planner Bob: Spencer describe the future of their neighbor- hood. NORTH VANCOUVER CITY COUNGIL by Greg Felton Using overhead transparencies and computer-generated 3-D slides of the conceptual models, Spencer presented his department’s vision for the 25.5 acres (10.3 hectares) on either side of Lonsdale bounded by Esplanade, Third Street, Chesterfield and St. George's avenues.) The renderings depicted an eclectic mix of residential and com- mercial development, green space, and pedestrian zones. “West of Lonsdale,” said Spencer, “there are primarily city- owned vacant areas. “We're looking for medium- to highrise residences, institutional and. commercial uses, and maybe a hotel.” He said the area east of Lonsdale, had. good potential for developing vacant and smail prop- erties. ~, On the waterfront, new and ren- ovated buildings could help create another Granville Island. But Spencer said the area's long-established block layout offers less planning flexibility than in the west. . Throughout the presentation, Spencer reassured the gallery that the models were only provisional. Compromises, however, will be necessary. The most contentious compro mise concerned the trade-off between building heights and pub- lic amenities. To gain green space, recreation- al areas and neighborhood ameni- ties, cily planners allow developers compensatory height or square footage in a practice known as “density bonusing.” . According. to city planner Richard White, a developer can build a 10-storey building that has no amenities, but if he provides non-commercial amenities, such as day care, he may be given 10% ‘more floor space. CALL US: 983-2208 Such amenities could be for the general public. Because of density bonusing, Spencer said the Official Community Plan height restriction may have to be increased. in the west it could rise from 120 to 165 feet (36.5 m to 50 m), and from 75 to 110 feet (23 m to 34 m) in the east. “Density bonusing is the only way in today’s economy that we’re going to get amenities like day care and green space without raising taxes,” said Coun. Stella Jo Dean. For resident Harry Coburne, however, the proposed height vari- ance was cause for concern. “Once we start making excep- lions ... we are going to creale a precedent.” Then to strong applause he urged council not to create another Ambleside or West End. “It’s our views. It’s our part of the city that’s at stake,” he said. Coburne didn’t oppose bonusing outright but insisted that council get as much out of the developer as possible. Mayor Jack Loucks also expressed misgivings about an eagerness to grant exira height. “T think density bonusing needs to be defined,” he said. Loucks added that a building's height should fall between the zon- ing limit and that of the Official Community Plan (OCP). Another trade-off concerns street parking and development. “I don’t see the parking problem being addressed at all,” said lan Stabler, owner of Spiral’s Restaurant at the foot of Lonsdale. He said patrons already have trouble parking and the plan to develop the parking lot behind his restaurant will mean the loss of 250 parking stalls. He said the plan will turn Lower Lonsdale into another West End where residents will need parking permits, White said the amount of sur- face parking to be allowed is up to council. The current direction, he said, is to increase pay parking. because each free parking space represents a hidden $14,000 to S13.000 cost to taxpayers. For that reason. said White. all parking will be underground, A plan to close Ist Street between Lonsdale and Chesterfield as part af the pedestrian zone received general support. Bridge is destined for the western purt of Vancouver. He asked why traffic would be routed through the eastern part of the city. ND. hea, a traffic and phinning consulting firm, is acting for the provincial government to publiciz the information about the different bridge repair/replacement options and receive feedback. The News published a special feature on the various First Narrows hound for downtawa Vancouver: t 30% is bound for Vancouver west of Main Street, with the small- er portions beaded for Vancouver East, Richmond and beyand. @ about 92% of the traffic comes from the North Shore — approxi- mately S066 from Capilano Road and 506% from ‘Taylor Way in West Vancouver. Boonty 5% of the traffic comes from Highway 99; and B 3% of the traffic comes from the Horseshoe Bay ferries. tion and $100 million. B Proposals fora new four- or five- tane bridge would cost between $150 million and $390 million. @ Tunneling options would cost between $300 million and $400 million and would either run from the Capilano and Marine Drive area to West Georgia or close to the route of the existing bridge. The Brockion Tunnel alignments would cost at least $1 billion. Coun. Andy Danytiu registered his concerns about proposed bridge crossing proposals in its Sunday, March 27, issue. Wallace categorized the pro- posed crossing schemes: @ Rebuilding Lions Gate with three lanes would cost between $85 smil- According to N.D. Lea: 9 55% of the traffic crossing the Lions Gate Bridge in the morning is toils: “People could have daily costs of $30-$40 to do business in Vancouver. Use of the automobile could become out of reach for the average class of people.” NEWS photo Paul McGrath Listening to The Bug Lady _ BONING UP on bugs. Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre’s recent Wildlife Week included a pre- sentation by Rhonda Johnston (right) calied “The Bug Lady.” Johnston explained various aspects of her insect collection to curious children and parents last Thursday afternoon at the Lynn Canyon Park facility. Crist defends monster actions NORTH SHORE residents choose to live here, and pay a great deal for the privilege, because of the environment and the views of mountains, ocean and forests. By Kate Zimmerman News Reporter That's the opinion of North Vancouver District Coun, Ernie Crist. who says that choice of environment reveals “community values.” Local neighborhoods can be ruined when a visually incongruous element like an oversized home is intro- duced into the mix, he said. “A ‘monster hame? is not a large house on a large lat.” Crist said. “It's a huge house or monstrosity on a small fot. which doesn’t fit into the character of a neighktorhoad.” Despite the statements of real estite agents. who insist that property values will slide if the district imposes physical limitations on single-family dwellings as it proposes to da, Crist said is more like- ly that “monster” North Shore real estate. Crist. who spearheaded efforts by district council to impose stricter regulations on single-family zoning, houses will cause the devaluation of claimed there are two reasons monster homes are built. The first is that realtors like to list such homes because large houses enable people to buy who ordi- narily could not afford to own a house. The new own- ers install secondary and tertiary suites and allow the renters to subsidize their mortgage. ; Second, uccording to Crist, the builders construct monster homes because “they are incapable of building quality homes. so they build quantity, because they charge by the square foot. “There's nothing wrong with large homes if you have a large lot. But you cannot move into an area and say, ‘Here Tam, and to hell with the neighbors.* ” Crist denied that people who rally aguinst monster homes are actually opposing an influx of immigrants with different tastes than their own, ; ‘s not because people are racist,” he said. “When you're in Rame. you do as the Romans do...” Crist said NVD°s proposed amendments are an interim measure, designed to prevent the construction of any more oversized houses. Uf they are passed, council's next step will be a series of studies of, and discussions with, each neigh- borhood in the district in an effort to develop zoning guidelines to ensure the area's distinet character is pre- served. THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Do you believe the provincial government can freeze taxes and eliminate the deficit by 1997?