donathon Narvey
Contributing Writer

THE cost of modernizing North
Vancouver’s Centennial Theatre is
going up, and the public will be

_ paying for it.

North Vancouver City council gave third
reading Monday night to a bylaw to increase
the theatre's renovation budget by lending the
Project an additional $200,000 our of the
city’s enhancement fund on the evening of
Nov. 15. The theatre is expected to pay back
the loan over several years, with additional rey-

_ enue from higher ticket prices.

The building, which houses the largest
auditorium on the North Shore, will be
improved to grant better access to the public,
said Councillor Darre!l Mussatto, chairman of
the Centennial Theatre Renovation Project.

The city’s advisory design parcl made
changes to the renovation plan thar increased
the initial cost ot about $2 million, Mussarto

. Sai

3 Most of the additional costs will go to an

> enhanced sidewalk and landscaping to make it

“a better looking area, but the plan also calis for installing wheel-
hair access, increasing the washroom arca and increasing the size

of the lobby. A concession stand will also be enhanced for $8,000.

Because most of the new funding is for the enhanced sidewalk
and landscaping which will benefit the public, city staff felt it was

E\ appropriate to fund the improvements from the regular capital

budget. Councillors agreed the changes are essential for continu-
‘ing use of the building.

“During a presentation, there are only three toilets for 300

: people,” Mussatto said. “When you've got a kid’s production on,

. it’s a problem. Also, if you want to stand up for intermission, the

" lobby. only holds half of the capacity of the theatre. It’s.a great
- building, but it needs to be updated.”

ile Councillor Stelia Jo. Dean agreed that the changes were

Graphic Ed Dodson Architect

AN artist's rendering of the upgraded Centennial Theatre in North
Vancouver. included in the theatre's overhaul will be landscaping,
wheelchair access and farger washroom and lobby facilities.

necessary and supported the motion, she said she was unhappy
with how the budget was presented.

*} would rather the appropriate people came forward and gave
us the right figure, so that we know what to expect and it gets
done on time,” she said. “That’s the way things should be done.
Irs not professional, otherwise.”

The theatre will likely have to raise ticket costs about $1 to help
pay for the loan, so the cost is being passed on to the public, Dean
said. She added that while the initial investment is significant, the
renovations will make the building more profitable from increased
rentals.

The bylaw was carried unanimously with no debate. Final
adoption is expected to take place when the new council meets on
Nov, 29.

Group Opposes more waterfront access in district

incur erivitonimesral damage.
‘That view has* been dis-
“persed in the flyers distributed
oO district residents... -

ey’re_ spreading false-

»” Belhouse said.

dom” and that all district resi-
dents — not just those who
live. on the waterfront —
should have a say-in neigh-
bourhood planning.

- North Vancouver District
voters wili be asked to respond
to the: following referendum

ballot papers: “Arc you in
favour, in principle, of the rec-
ommendations on ways to
increase public access to the
District’s waterfront — as
described in the Waterfront
Task Force Phase H Interim
Report?”

lines a 50-year plan for the dis-

trict waterfront, including the -

creation of a 1.3- km trail, new
and expanded park space, and
restored beach accessibility.

jan will cost district
houseto ders an extra 541 per
year for the firsr 15 years, and

Friday, November 19. 1999 — North Shore News -— 9

Sharp troubled by
timing of accusation

From page V

Justice Williams noted
Sharp’s “awareness with

eet to contlict issues” in his
decision. Sharp, he pointed
out, had “excused herself from
attendance at certain mectings.
She recognized on those occa-
sions that it would not be
appropriate for her to be pre-
sent when the local firefighters’
union wanted to implement an
early retirement incentive poli-
cy, wanted a change to fire
management salaries, and
negotiated change in the fire-
fighter wage compensation.”

Justice Williams found that
Sharp did nor vote on_candi-
dates for the fire chiefs job,
only on “standards and cri
ria” tor the position. “The
dence is quite clear,” Williams
added, “thar her husband was
neither cligible nor interested
in the job. [ can find no direct
or indirect pecuniary interest
which waald cause her to be in

conflict.” The judge concluded
that Sharp “did not act in bad
faith at any time.*

“We pushed really hard to
get this through the courts
before the election,” Sharp
said, “and the judge worked
really hard to get a decision out
before the cle

“trou-
bled” by the fact Fearnley had
launched his accusations in the
midst of her election campaign.

“The timing was tortally
wrong,” she said. “It’s like
when you accuse somebody of
anything.
there, and whether it’s true or
not, you don’t know what the

day Fearnley claimed
to be “unrepentant” about his
actions, He said he was “sur-
prised and disappointed” by
the judge’s decision. “I took a
strong stand here and I lost,
but [ refuse to hang my head in
shame for doing what I
thought was right,” he said.

| A platform we can all stand
www.direct-democracy.com,,

‘and . The Interim Report out- $26 per year thereafter.

“Waterfront access question when they mark their

been ‘a contentious issue sirice -
“ie was first | put forward several

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