Martin Millerchip News Reporter martin@nsnews.com ALMOST three years and $6,000 later Allana Backie has “legalized” her backyard swin school. She had run summer swim lessons from her Hoskins Road home without incident for more than 22 years when North Vancouver District changed the rules in 1996. Since then she has wortied about regulations to the point of “working on an ulcer.” The regulation of private swimming lessons first came before council in relation to a Dollarton residence. _ Compiaints abour waffic and parking adjacent to a privatt home at 4123 Golf Dr. forced council to debate whether a swim school should be an allowable “home occupation” (an occupation or profession conducted for gain in a dwelling unit) under the dis- trict’s single family zoning. After much debate council amended its zoning to allow for swim schools. The disurict’s Business Licence Bylaw was subse- quently amended to require that swim schools apply for an annu- al licence and that, in the event of complaints, the licence applica- tion be adiudicated by council, not staf Backie says she applied for a business licence in July of 1996 after a visit from a district bylaw enforcement officer who informed her a new neighbour had complained to district hall about traffic in the area and the safety of children crossing the road to her home. Une then, Backie figures she had taught almost 5,000 children to swim in 12-week sessions running Menday to Friday, May to August. She was next visited by representatives of the North Shore Health Board and the district engincering department. Following their directives, Backie spent over $6,000 to bring her yard, pool and equipment up to the same standards required for public pools. Requirements included: a new deck, an automat- ic chlorinator, a pool ladder with four steps (her old one had three), a hand rail, pvo non-telescoping reaching assists, wo ring buoys with 20 feet of rope (her pool is 18 feet wide) and the pro- vision of paper towels in the change room instead of the fluffy cor- ton towels provided by Backic. After spending her money to make the changes, Backie received a copy of a leer from Health Minister Penny Priddie clarifying that private pools used for teaching purposes do not have to meet the same health standards as public pools. “Oh well, the deck looks nice,” a relieved Backic told the News after district counc] finally approved her business licence. Backie had been under the impression that meeting her health inspection requirements was the licence she needed until she was called to attend a Mav 4 public meeting about her business licence. There she received sufficient support from her ncighbours that council had no problem Monday unanimously approving her - business licence. Truck for towers From page ¥ repairs before it could be considered for active servic In April it was estimated thar a new truck would cost West Vancouver anywhere from $850,000 to $1 million. The loss of the aerial ladder truck said Wood, spread fear throughout the communiny, especially among people living in highrise buildings. Wood said council sees the new truck as ane component of the North Shore's fleet of safety response vehicles. “When you’re in a highrise building, youre dependent on a number of systems, not just a ladder truck,” said Wood. “Living in a highrise is actually a very safe circum- stance.” Olson explained that highrise fires are usually fought trom the inside-out, using a building’s water supply sys- tem. But Olson said the new vehicle will add to West Vancouver's response capacity and is a necessary addition to the existing North Shore fleet. Wednesday, June 23, 1999 ~ North Shore News - Xay NEWS phote Terry Peters ROBERTA Cheung is one of several West 3rd Street suite owners concerned that they may have to buy park- ing stalls, originally intended for visitors, which were sold to other apartment owners by the developer. Council pe From page 1 city bylaw before council can issue the permanent occupancy permits. “It basically means that we are occupying our suites iflegally,” Longmuir told councillors on Monday. Longmuir said visitors must currently try to find street park- ing, which is heavily used and limited to one hour. “Ar some point council could say ‘You must comply,’ ” he told the News after the mecting. Longmuir said that, in order to get their final occupancy approval, the group has grudgingly agreed to allow the builder to seek rezoning or a variance permit from the city to get around the Jack of visicors’ parking, but on the condition the developer fix “deficiencies” in the building first. The air ventilation system is the main stumbling block. It cre- ates condensation inside the ceilings of 10 ground-floor units. Longmuir said uninsulated air ducts handling dryer and kitchen exhaust have water forming on their exterior and draining into the building's interior wails. “In the summer time -it’s not a big deal,” he said outside council chambers. “But in the winter there’s a fot of water...” The strata council fears water is going elsewhere inside the building and causing damage. The group had an independent contractor estimate repairs in the $30,000 to $40,000 range but Boxtree’s offer of $15,000 to the strata council has been retracted. In the spring of 1998, the condo owners won a New Home nders legal action Warranty Program arbitration hearing on the ventilation prob- Jem, but the program has since collapsed. On behalf of The Seascape’s strata council, Longmuir asked council to give the group Boxtree’s $30,000 damage deposit — left with the city until the final occupancy permit is issued — so it can fix the condensation problem. “We see this as our last chance to get something out of the developer,” Longmuir said Monday. Boxtree representatives were unavailable to press deadline. But Fred Smith, North Vancouver City’s director of develop- ment, recommended against giving the group the money. “That was given to the city for a specitic purpose,” he said, adding that the cost of the city being taken to court by the devel- oper could outweigh any returns. “Ewould hope we don’t have to go through this,” Smith said. But Coun. Darrell Mussatto said, “I'd like to see those costs.” He said he wanted a legal opinion on the city’s options and moved city staff report back on the issuc. “This is not a unique problem,” Mayor Jack Loucks said. He said the city has lobbied Victoria to change legislation that inhibits municipal bylaws aimed at preventing developers trom selling the parking stalls privatel Smith added that another similar situation was caught in time recently and the sale of the visitors’ stalls was prevented. City staff will examine the situation and legal implications of giving the residents the damage deposit money tctore reporting, back to councillors at a future in-camera meeting. Fraud scheme hits bank machine use Anna Maria D’Angelo News Reporter dangelo@nsnews.com SOME ATM users in North Vancouver came up short of cash after their money was dispensed into a fake money slot. Two bogus di nsing slot faces were placed over real ones at a: @ CIBC automatic teller machine located in a convenience store at Chesterfield and Esplanade on June 18; @ Canada Trust ATM located in Capilano Mall on June 20. “Evervbody that we've had so far has gotten their money back,” said North Vancouv RCMP Const. Heidi Hoftman. Hoffman said this type of theft has occurred at ATMs for several years although these are the first two instances to be reported in North Vancouver. On June 18, a customer noticed a metal plate over the real dispensing cover at the Lower Lonsdale convenience store. Police were called. The fake Said Coun. Allan Williams, “I really wasn’t much in favour of (the new aerial truck) until I learned what it was all about.” The thought of people jumping out of win- dows to escape a fire was “almost more than one can imagine,” he said. West Vancouver has 88 highrise buildings that are more than five storeys tall. This, according to firefighters, is the third highest total in the Lower Mainland. Said Williams, “We finally, after 20 years, have some- thing to serve this community (and its neighbours).” Coun, Victor Durman said he was pleased that the pre vious breakdown in communications between the fire department and council had been resolved. “For the very first time, council has been educated into what was required,” he said. WEST Vancouver firefighters posed with the broken ladder truck in April. it will be repiaced. Last year the West Vancouver Professional Fire Fighters tion (WVPFEA) mailed out more than 18,000 fly- ers, one to every household in the municipality, outlining opposition to budget cuts to the fire department. The action disappointed West Vancouver Mayor Pat Boname. Said Olson, “It’s the end of a long road, but we're very happy about it.” Berween 1994 and 1997, the West Vancouver aerial truck was called out 1,426 times and was instrumental in fighting four serious fire Each North Vancouve: aerial cruck. ¢ dep ent also has its own dispensing slot was seized. Two days later, three people in a row using the Canada Trust ATM at Capilano Mall did not get cash from the machine. One of the ATM customers called a security guard. The security guard looked at the plate, removed it and found the moncy “stuck” inside. Hoffman said the security guard gave the cash to the three ATM cus- tomers. ere is no suspect regarding the Capilano Mall incident. A suspect observed at the CIBC ATM in the Lower Lonsdale area is described as being Caucasian, in his mid 30s, with “greasy hair” and a blue jacket, He was seen riding a di Police advise anvone who notices an “altered” ATM or does not receive money from an ATM to contact the bank or credit union right away. Anyone with information about the two incidents is asked to call the North Vancouver RCMP at 985-1311 or Crime Stoppers at 669-8477.