Rec centre site From page 1 Currently, there is no existing blueprint or business plan, until a site is approved. The Tuesday night meeting was orga- nized by Karyo Communications, 3 pub- lic-relanions firm hired jointly by the board and WVACT, ata cost of $5,000 each, to handle the public consultation process. Karyo was also responsible for a June 21 “issues workshop” in which some 65 interested parties took part. The firm will be responsible for collat- ing the information gathered last Tuesday and plans to provide the results to the par- ticipants in October 2000. Their contract will then be re-negotiated at that time. While designed to explore area resi- dents’ concerns about the proposed place- ment of the centre, the sday meeting became, largely, a forum for the group's dissatisfaction with, and pre-emptive rejection of, the proposed site. The list of their stated concerns cov- ered areas such as: increased traffic; van- dalism; declining property values; litter: parking problems; and loss of existing site facilities, Most, if not all of the concerns, had also been listed at the June 21 meet- ing. . Former municipal councillor Rod Day made a speech in a brief appearance at the Tuesday meeting, expressing resentment at the fact that there were no school board representatives present at the hearing. “They're giving us PR people, to fob us all off,” he warned However, mode or Patti Schom- Moffat, a co-principal of Communications, explained she had per- sonally requested that school board repre- sentatives not attend, because she didn’t want board members being forced to come up with answers that “we don’t have.” Day offered some mixed support for the project. saying “it could be a nice attraction, (but) it could lose a lot of “and exhorted the group to “organize, organize, organize.” He acknowledged the residents” “seri- ous concerns” and suggested the recre ation centre area near Wetmore Motors as an alternative site. “You could close 22nd, divert it around the park and use that whole area for an arts centre,” Day suggested to loud applause. “The problem is, it (would cost) several more million dofiars.” Long-time arva residents Pat Crawtord and George and Lee Grills also voiced their dissatisfaction with the proposed site. “The school board’s trying to pull a Hillside on us — giving away school prop- erty,” said Crawford. “tam adamantly oppo: that will create traffic in the evening,” said dent George Grills. “And I sus- rybody who lives around here way.” Grills’. commenis athusiastic applause mbled to anything Le _ Lee. Other concerns included the inability Br posed of the school board to interact effectiv with the Arts Centre Trust and the qu tion of whe would be picking up t operating costs. “There’s no ability on the part of the school board to put aay moncy into the operation of this thing,” countered Bird, explaining the operations of the centre would remain exclusively under the purview of WVAC re not putting any money into the capital costs either.” Hird advocates strongly for a world- class arts centre in West Vancouver, which, he believes, could actually increase the value of the neighbourhuod. But he insists it is not a “fait accompli” as has been suggested, citing a number of stages and hurdles to be cleared before any deci- sions can be made. “At the end of the day, if the commu- nity says, ‘We don’t want an arts centre,” that’s fine,” said Bird. “I'm not going to skove it down their throats. We have to do what's right for the community,” he said. But, according to D be decided. “I think there’s going to be a lot of negotiation, but they’re going to have to take into account the fact that West Van ns don’t really like big projects in their neighbourhoods,” he said. “You can’t blame them. They have a i way of life that they don’t want to rupted ... it’s always the same, it never fails. “The school board should be listening a little more,” he added. y, it may already Parking dispute leads to arrest POLICE were called on July 6 over disputes The Starbucks cu: stomer told police he never got a straight about parking near the Starbucks in Lynn Valley. One Starbucks patron claimed he was hit on the foot with a shovel during a dispute over parking in a space for Tommy's Catering Services and restaurant customers on Ross Road off Mountain Highway. Starbucks customers are not supposed to park in the lot. A large sign stated “positively no” Starbucks customers are to park in the several spots next to the restaurant. The Starbucks outlet is at 2990 Mountain Hwy., across the street from the restaurant. . According to the North Vancouver RCMP, the shovel wielder was cleaning up in the area with the shovel when a confrontation occurred with a coffee-house patron. : Police also say the shovel wielder had a confrontation with another Starbucks patron who parked in a restaurant spot later that ~ day. This confrontation involved the brandishing of a knife. "