- 7 ‘ NEWS photo Paul McGrath ~ GORDON and father Brian Wilis work on a remote contre! oiane at inter River Park. It's an ideal field for the North Vancouver Radio Controi Flying Club to fly from but . the development of f playing fields in North Vancouver District will change things. Dage a Trim... Trimming Airpl ane flyers’ field threatened Premier Street landfill changes could down club Michael Becker News Editor michacl@nsnews.com THEYRE flying high now, but members of a radio-control airplane club fear they may be grounded. The North Vancouver Radio Control Flying, Club bas used the Premier Street landfill site as its flying field since the club’s inception, approximately 15 years ago. But North — Vancouver District plans call for the land- fill to make way for new pliy- ing fields as part of the Inter River Park development, which will limit the flyers’ access to the site. The municipality is convert- ing the site into as many as five soccer fields and three baseball diamonds. The existing landfill plarcau is being expanded. According to district, parks manager Cameron Cairncross the land will then sit fora year to sete. The playing fields will be ready in 2000. Said flying club vice-presi- dent Doug Burt, “The old landfill site is in itself an almost perfect place to operate remote conwolled aircraft from due to its unique geographical loca- tion.” Public access is controlled by a gate on the south side, the Lynn Creek ravine defines the spot to the west and a wall of trces lines the area to the east. “Although this ficld has excellent: geographical | quali- nes, it also provides us an arca on the North Shore where we can safely participate in our hobby and allow spectators of all ages areas front which thev cai safely view the antics of our highly entertaining ma-hines,” Burt said. The club’s efforts to search for other sites on the North Shore have praved fruitless. The club has attempted to be a good neighbor of nearby residential areas by enforcing noise restrictions on its planes with standards lower than a national (Model Aeronautics Association of Canada) limit of 95 decibels (db). Local flyers take to the sky with a 91 db maximum allowable noise level. Said Burt, “We've got some houses over in the Arborlynn area where the noise docs get to some people every once in 2 while, depending on the direc- tion of the wind, We've tied to . work with the people. We've cut our decibel rating in the motors back by spending a lor of money.” Burt said the club’s contin- ued access to the site has been Nonth Vericouver comes to the North Shore nd lawn clippings? If so, here's a great idea - Shore's new Yard and Garden Trimmings rass clippings, leaves and flowers as well as hedge trimmings for pickup. Before 7:30:am on your regular weekly garbage and recycling callection day, put your yard and garden trimmings out in clear (uncoloured) plastic bags* or ied bundles. Bundles should contain pieces no larger nan 3 inches x 3 feet and be tied with biodegradable “string. The maximum weight for each bag or bundle is 20 kg (44 Ib). A separate truck will pick up the bags and bundles, taking them to a composting facility to be tentative since 1996. “Nobody has been really able to make a decision one way or another with the devel- opment coming on line of the Inter River Park,” he said. Approximately 90% of the club’s membership is drawn from the North Shore. The sport appeals to both sexes. The 65 tlvers range in age from seven to 80. Most members operate at least owo planes worth on average of $500 each. Said Burt, “That’s an awful lot of money spent over here at the hobby shops and the hard- ware stores on the North Shore.”. Recently they were cold by district. staff that April 18 would be the final day they could plan any activities. - Bur said Cairncross, “We? "re going to work around them ‘as niuch as possille so they can stay there (on the plateau} alice te longer.” Once the fields are‘ com- plete, urban parks manager Richard Bolton said the dub can schedule flying times when... soccer and ball games‘aren’t in progr EF CSS. While Burt praises - the efforts of district. staff to accommodate the club jin its - search for a fiving field, he said See Limited page. 11 North Vuirrcouver s Collection processed into a high quality organic soil conditioner. With your participation, this new service will greatly reduce . the amount of valuable, compostable material sent to’ landfill and incineration each year. For more information, please call: . District of North Vancouver — 990.3830 City of North Vancouver 987.7155 District of West Vancouver 929.3416 * Clear bags are available at many local grocery, hardware, nursery and drug stores. recyding program