Y cop ired for incident By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter A West Vancouver constable, found guilty of lying as the result of a gun complaint investigation, has been fired. West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager, who is head of the police beard, would say on Thursday only that Const. Glen Mason is no longer a West Vancouver District employee. The constable was dismissed last week. Sager has drawn criticism recent- ly for dealing with public business away from public scrutiny. The mayor said that no other information about the Mason case is public. . A public complaint against Mason was launched more than a year ago. Witnesses said Mason pulled out his gun at an August 1995 Block Warch meeting and showed it to a group of people living in a Bellevue Avenue apartment. Mason displayed the gun while discussing a possible reason for a drop in the crime rate in West Vancouver, During a private police depart- ment’ hearing, however, Mason denied he had pulled out his weapon. At the conclusion of the hearing in March, Mason was found guilty of deceit. He was also found guilty of inap- propriately using his firearm and dis- creditable conduct. The penalty for Mason’s convic- tion for lying was that he resign. The firearm and discreditable conduct infractions resulted in Mason’s being suspended for one day without pay. He appealed his conviction and the process was handled as a private disciplinary matter not open to pub- lic scrutiny. The five-member civilian West Vancouver Police Board heard Mason’s appeal in-camera. They ren- dered their decision in the same way. Monthly police board meetings ‘are open to the public on the top floor.of the police station on See Peers page 12 & Bright Lights... SH Crossword... © Health Trends. @ Horoscopes. WB SPOS. cee Bi Talking Personals...........38 Vintage Years... 29 worth Shore News, foundest in 1969 2 ai ade pendent suburban newspuper anit qualified under Schedule TL, Paragraph Et of tee Exerse Tan Act, is published each Wednesday. Friday und Sanday Py North Shore Pre Press Ltd and distributed to every dogs wo the “orh Share Canida Post Canadian PobMentons Mail Sales Peeduct Agremen: Ne QOS7238. Matty rates available on request Sunday, November 4, 1996 —- North Shore News ~ 3 Bird-brains wreck bird blind WILD Bird Trust of B.C’s Tony Webb surveys the damage done by v The bird hut was made with donated materials and volunteer labor. W. Vancouver soiution to stress house design over numeric formula By lar. Noble News Reporter CONTINUING a 15-year struggle to keep monster houses from darkening West Vancouver’s door, council gave third read- ing to the fourth phase of a bulk housing bylaw on Monday. The bylaw, which is up for adoption at tomorrow night's council meeting, is a pared-down version of'a previous bylaw that would have controlled housing bulk through numeric formulas. That bylaw, however, met strong opposition. Counet! also an- nounced alvaday it will continue studying a design review process that could lead to neighborhood-by- neighborhood guide- lines for home design. The bylaw that came before staff on Monday — addressed concerns expressed at an Oct. 21 public hear- ing COUN. Allan Williams ... use Lower Caulfeild as an example. Council agreed with most of the amendments, including a clarification of the creck preservation area, alimir to the retaining wall and artificial grade line to nearly 37% in the front only, and an allowance for underground parking structures to within 10 feet (three metres) of the front and side property lines. Currently there are no structure restrictions. However, Coun, Rod Day asked thar increased side-vard setbacks for two-storey houses remain in the bylaw even though staff recommended thar the pro- posed increases be deleted. “1 think if we don’t put it in and wait for the ws cussion on design review, they may or may not find their way back in. | would rather get the legislation in and then revise it,” he'said. Land surveyor Bill Chapman had asked that coun- cil reject the side-yard setback recommendation, say- ing he wanted council to consider the effects of set- backs on some small homeowners. He said that if he were to put a small second-floor addition on his home, his home would became non-conforming. The revised bylaw includes the above changes, and: Wa sliding scale for site coverage of 7,140- to 9,529- square-foot lots; BM an exemption for trellises from site coverage and setback regulations; Wa 10-foot setback from the creck preservation areca for new lots; @ an exclusion of 50% of area within a creck preser- vation area from lot area on new lots; B further exemptions for underground portions of basements; @ a reduction in the garage exemption from floor area ratio from a three-car to a two-car garage; M regulations for underground parking structures in front yards; Ma limit of three garage doors on any elevation, Wan amendment to the definition of average finished grade and how it is determined. Staff said the proposed amendments would likely have minimal impact on most properties. “They are intended to address a number of issues raised by the public and staff in relation to certain limited aspects of bulk and to inconsistencies in the zoning bylaw.” District staff added that the primary issues of bulk in phase four will now be dealé with separately in the current study of a possible design review: process, Coun, Allan Williams said council is aware chat it must pursue a design review: process and noted the success of the Lower Caulfeild Conservation Area, which uses design guidelines specifically develaped for the neighborhood. “Because of the success we enjoyed in’ Lower Caulfeild we are encouraged to move in the same direction with the rest of the municipality,” he said. The effort to trim bulk from housing in West Vancouver began in 1980 when a minimum side-yard setback of five feet was established. Zoning bylaw changes since then have generally consisted of attempts to control housing bulk through numeric formulas rather than house design. Now, however, staff will look at a design review process to control bulk. As a first step in the process, staff anticipates meeting soon with building protes- sionals to discuss objectives and alternative means for a design review process, andals on Oct. 24 te the bird-viewing blind at Maplewood Flats. A $1,000 reward is offered in the case. Call police at 666-3131. Molotov cocktail seized from teen at NV bus stop Froms page 1 when he got effa bus near Mountain Highway and Lynn Valley Road. Police say the teen was carrying a Molotov cocktail complete with fuse. He also carried an air pistol, folding tnife, black hood-style mask and mar- ijuana. ‘The Mounties are recommending charges of possessing a narcotic, pos- sessing an explosive substance and carrying a concealed weapon. If charged, the youth's name will not be made public as set out in the Young Offenders Act. ; Also in Lynn Valley, a Halloween pumpkin prank caused an estimated $70,000 worth of car damage. Police say a 22-year-old Worth Vancouver woman was driving a com- pany-owned Jaguar in the 700-block of East 29th Street when someone threw a pumpkin or parts of a pump- kin at the car. The pumpkin hir the Jag’s windshield causing the woman to swerve into two parked cars. “Obviously, it was a prank and probably some kids didn’t think this thing through,” said Cpl. Tom Adair of the North Van RCMP traffic sec- tion. The woman was not injured in the 10:30 p.m. incident. A pipe bomb blew pieces of a washroom door 20 feer (six metres) at Loutet Park at East 14th and Rufus in North Vancouver, lolice say neigh- bors heard a huge blast ar 1 aan. Friday morning. The explosion cont pletely dislodged the ladies washi oom door from its hinges and destroyed the locking mechanism. Anyone with information concerh- ing the pumpkin throwers or wash- roan vandals is asked to call the North Vancouver RCMP at 985- 1311 of Crime Stoppers at 669-8477, In West Vancouver, — police received 60 complaints, mostly about noise from fire crackers. West Vancouver Police Sgt. Bob Fontaine said 20 youths were rounded up and brought to the police station for mis- chief-related incidents. Their parents were called to pick them up. Fontaine said two garbage cans {ull of fire crackers, fire works and related items were confiscated during the night. He added two children had their candy stolen. OS