- Sunday, December 3, 1989 — North Shore News

City council reverses stance;
demolition moratorium adopted

A SIX-MONTH demolition moratorium on multi-family
residences was adopted by North Vancouver City Council
Thursday night during a special emergency meeting, only
three days after the same motion was defeated by the city
during a regular council meeting.

The decision to hold an
emergency meeting came after a
controversial vote Monday night
left some council members feeling
the original vote had not really
reflected the wishes of the council.

“‘It is the wish of the majority of
council to pass the moratorium,””
said Ald. Bill Bell.

But Ald. Rod Clark said Mon-
day’s decision should stand. ‘This
(emergency) meeting is out of
order,’ he said.

Clark split council votes Mon-
day by initiating an amendment to
include houses with secondary
suites in the demolition

Deep Ceve
development
unveijed

PLANS FOR a new Deep
Cove housing and retail de-
velopment, which will
replace a number of stores
fronting the north side of
Gallant Avenue, were met
with guarded approval by
residents attending a recent
public meeting.

By MICHAEL BECKER
News Reporter

West Vancouver-based devel-
opment company Taurus Ventures
Ltd., headed by John Haibeck, has
applied for a development permit
to construct a three-storey building
that would include {7 con-
dominium housing units, approx-
imately 4,500 square feet of retail
space and 57 parking spots.

The Gallant Avenue strip is cur-
rently occupied by the Savoury
restaurant and other businesses.

About 80 people attended the
Nov. 23 public meeting held at
Seycove school. Twenty-eight took
the time to write down what they
felt about the proposal.

Said Deep Cove Community
Association representative Jennie
Keeran, ‘Almost everyone ex-
pressed concerns about parking
and the height of the project, but
overa!] people were in favor. As a
community it seems they have
some concerns, but they are gener-
ally approving of the develop-
ment.”

Said Haibeck, ‘* We've talked to
a number of people with exsiting
businesses there and have given
them the opportunity to stay there.
We would hope to start the project
in March, with completion in
August.”’

Land swap debated

From page 1

proposed housing, as designated,
wili go right on top of the main
trail to Rice Lake.’

Land-use options for the Lynn
Canyon inter-river area, as iden-
tified by the Inter-River Review
Committee, will be put to the
public Dec. 9, 1 p.m. to 9p.m., at
the Argyle Secondary School gym.

Options include environmental
protection zones, residential de-
velopment and recreational uses
such as camp grounds, a golf
course, horseback riding trails or
mountain bike trails.

Open house results will be com-
piled during December. A draft
report to council should be com-
pleted in January and the review
committee should have its final
report to council by February.

Ry CORINNE BJORGE
Contributing Writer

moratorium. While that amend-
mest narrowly passed with Clark
in favor, the demolition
moratorium was defeated due to
Clark voting against it in conjunc-
tion with aldermen opposed to the
secondary suite exemption.

Clark said council members
received notice of a special meeting
of council called under Section 240
of the Municipal Act. Subsequent-
ly, Clark said he was informed that

Except On To a

Section 240 would not apply and
that it would be dealt with under
Section 290.

Clark suggested Mayor Jack
Loucks had acted ‘‘outside of due
process’’ by deciding to proceed
under Section 290 after discovering
that Section 240 would have failed.
The manoeuvring was a ‘‘ploy’’ to
get council to reconsider the deci-
sion, said Clark.

But Loucks defended his deci-
sion. ‘‘I was elected to behave
responsibly. 1 think the will of the
majority should prevail,’ said
Loucks.

Loucks said he had checked with
a solicitor before reconvening the
meeting.

Clark said the confirmation
might not be enough. ‘‘it is but a
solicitor’s opinion, it is not a
judge's opinion,’’ he said.

But Loucks remained firm:
“You can take it to court, that’s
your privilege. | am convinced 1
am on very strong ground,”’ he
said.

Ald. John Braithwaite scolded
the other council] members for
playing political games and being
inconsistent with their politics.

“I'm sick and tired of the poli-
tics going on at meetings and
behind doors,”’ said Braithwaite.

During debate of the motion,
Clark again argued against the
moratorium.

Clark said he had already
received indications that certain
developers were considering action
against the city if the moratorium
was adopted.

“This bylaw will halt many
thousands of dollars of develop-
ment in its tracks,’’ said Clark.

vy

“Property taxes will go up and

up.

Clark then resubmitted the sec-
ondary suite amendment that had
led to the defeat of the demolition
moratorium motion three days
ago.

“If we truly believe there is an
emergency, why ignore this (hous-
ing)?’ he said.

Ald. John Braithwaite agreed.

But Bell said he was ‘‘not going
to be suckered twice.’

Although he said he was in favor
of secondary suites, Beli said he
was willing to make a compromise
so that the moratorium motion
would pass.

Ald. Barbara Sharp, who has
consistently supported saving il-
legal suites, said that adding the
amendment would not protect sec-
ondary suites from demolition.

“(The owners) can always go to
the city and remove the secondary
suite’’ and have the single-family
residence demolished.

The secondary suite amendment
was defeated 4 to 2.

The demolition moratorium mo-
tion passed 5-1, with only Clark
voting against. Ald. Stella Jo Dean
was not present.

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