Coniracior Keith Lowe Contributing Writer DRAINMASTER’S licence to work in North Vancouver was temporarily suspended last month, because council didn’t think the drainage contractor's excuses held any water. City council voted unani- mously July 24, to pull the plug on the Burnaby- based plumbing company’s licence, until proprietor Gerald Robinson stopped conducting “unapproved business activity” at the rear of his North Vancouver rental property. The activity included the stor- - age of soil, pipes and waste materials in the residence’s Robinson’s business licence with North Vancouver City, _ issued in 1993, applied only to “@ non: -resident contractor. Yet, in a North Vancouver Yellow Pages ad, the company address is clearly marked 559 East 4th, North Vancouver, under an area phone number. Robinson has denied the North Van site was ever used for business purposes, but he said on July 25 that he would » ‘comply with the order and had already found a suitable com- mercial storage facility on the North Shore. He said he would need “three or four days” to remove _ the offending materials. The property, located in a residential area, has been the ceate of complaint and con- troversy for over a year and a : half. While the major building © onthe property is rented to tenznts of the owner, Robinson had been using the garage and back yard as a stor- age facility. Neighbours’ complaints about the property have ranged from the = general untdiness of the site to worries about the dumping of contam- inated soil. There is no set time period in which the property must be cleared, but Robinson could face an injunction if he is caught engaging in business in North Vancouver with a licence suspension. Robinson explained this discrepancy to council, saying he was told it was good busi- ness practice, to have a “physi- cal address” in the area, which he used in name only. He explained that phone calls to the North Vancouver number were forwarded to his Burnaby outlet. “So you suck in the public to think yeu’re a North Vancouver business” asked Coun. Bi - Robinson“ “defended the practice, saying he had two area employees who responded to local calls. The first complaint against Robinson came on Dec. 3, 1998. City staff determined shat it was an untidy property and received promises it would be cleaned by Dec.14. A fur- ther complaint in January 1999, resulted in staff issuing an order for Robinson to com- ply and guarantees that the et would be tidy by Feb. 1999 : When this deadline passed, staff arranged a meeting with Robinson for Feb. 19, at which point the property had been “substantially cleaned up” according to the report by development services. A later complaint in June 1999 sparked another round of city staff investigations, cul- minating with a March 2000 “De Mitra Sadrameli- is pleased to announce the opening of her new office at: / 545 Clyde Avenue : Suite 206, across from | the Parke Royal ‘Hotel, e WHOLESALE: & HUGE SELECTION YOURE PAYING Too MUCH loses NV Cit complaint of discarded and dumped soil and piping, possi- bly containing human waste. Although the property was again cleaned up, there were reports that business activicy there was ongoing from April through June 2000. In a petition delivered to the city’s property use inspec- tor, dated June 12, 2000, some 14 area residents and families claimed Robinson was running a business in the back- yard and shed. Their concerns included reports of: @ several trucks and vans with DrainMaster logos loading and unloading at all hours, includ - ing, drains, sewer pipes and soil; @ men urinating in the back yard, within their view; @ several bags of garbage left up against the back fence, for up to three weeks at a time; @ grass in backyard approxi- mately 12 feet (3.6 m) long; B five dirty tarpaulines left All Dus Sunday, August 6, 2000 - Nerth Shore News - 13 ling on the ground; Bi scattering of dumped, possi- bly contaminated, soil against neighbour's fence. “If I was vour neighbour, I'd be very mad,” Coun. Barbara Perrault said to Robinson at the council meet- ing. “You're using (the proper- ty) as a dumping ground.” But Robinson claims he is being unfairly singled out. He said it was only one family that was complaining and behind the petition. He believed his iness licence property was no worse than any number of other neigh- bouring residences, pointing to one resident who stored two backhoes and another who operated a tree shredder. Council said it would con- sider reinstatement — of DrainMaster’s licence when Robinson has set up a new storage area in an industrial area. The suspension does not affect DrainMaster’s dealings beyond the North Shore. Bay stores open Sa.m.— On purchases throughout the store mb Bird ts a APU LLC T ee cane eA ee Se He fie ssourerts Shee a chen rertunauspecy wine MUR BAM aA NA EWA TEATRO RO DELS EIEIO AH ANTE USN DFT CARLY TERT SE CED 1 ATHLETE Mm fo be BOE IP AEAED save 50% & cover-ups ° All Lorus watches ‘rod eaten a save 20% + Ali mens Hunt ub" & Northem Spirit shorts save 30% * All womens & men’s hats & sunglasses =* Mens Northem Spit” 0G. $54.99 & $59.99, 1 $3849 & $44.99 S19: 99 save 25% * Ali outdoor aaylic tableware & accessories. Off our last ticketed prices, * All electric fans + Ali women’s swimwear * Principtes" sterling silver & will give you discount equivatent to the GST & PST off our requias safe or dearance prices. Some: «Ali men’s Caibome twill eT i ___ Mink free til pants. Save upto 30% Kids’ Reebok’Athena'” shoes... menreersate REL RE meecepions de dozpply seein-strefor detais. gin Karten Mice per atk canescens See what these extra savings mean for you on our Holiday Monday spedals Event on now! save © 35% dearance-priced footwear, - ; Gffour ast ticketed sTices. + All candy & fine foods. * Ail 660s & accessories refit Shy shop at a'store that doesn't give yo . Rew sad iron are warded monthly, based on cumulative purchases, excluding taxes. “mfrademanes of AIR MILES’ intemations! Holding NV. ised re under ticense Loyalt Ry Manageenent Group Canada inc: and the Boy. AIR MILES! means AIR MILES’ ‘Femrd eles unless the content requires there: Acoso var pls nes oh spi Rank Bde wi ey by sesh fy Vets POR ERLE SIDERED WER MA ITE LOUE. PE ONT ROME AN UA HO Ra ER ULE ENE LEROY ANE RE UME EAE LIA FORELEG AIR: MILES" reward miles: