42 — Wednesdzy, May 27, 1998 — North Shore News

WY golfers fear

THE question is one of
compatibility.

Can a golf course and a
community recreation centre
live together, sharing t the same
house? Who knows? As far as
anyone is aware, it’s never
been tied before.

Unless you live in the far
west of West Van, or you jour-
ney thence to play golf as
many do on that delightful
green space known as

Glencagles, the growing kefuf- ,

fle may be of no great interest.

But out there in the far
west, where battle lines are
formed — an informal alliance
of golfers and the Glencagles
Ratepayers Association versus
the fitness, recreation and arts
crowd —- there is much inter-
est. Blame the newest baby
boom in the Eagle Harbor
area.

The first baby boom
resulted in the construction of
the Eagle Harbor clementary
‘school. A few years down the

» road the school suddenly was
empty. A severe shortage of
kids. So the building became a
community and recreation

~egitre. Now, in the sexy "90s,
the area is full of kids again
and the old schoolhouse is

- Reeded once more as a full
time school.

~ So, where to go? Well,
how about Gleneagles? The
old pan-abode complex there
is rotting away and needs
replacement. How about tear-
ing it down and putting up a
30,000 square-foot communi-
ty centre with new catering
facilities to serve both recre-
ationists and golfers?

_” 2 Done? Not quite. But it
“does seem to be the favored
of thrce options, one of which
is to put the centre on the for-
mer B.C. Rail right-of-way on
the other side of Marine

north shore news

© SPORTS

Daive, where there would also
be just enough room to
squeeze in 3 projected swim-
ming pool and ice rink. In the
long haul, though, precious
lirtle parking space The golfers
don’t mind that.

Another option is the com-
munity centre on the golf
course, with enough adjacent
open space for a future swim-
ming pool, and the rink on
the former railway land. You
may be sure both golfers and
recreationists don’t think
much of that one.

The front runner is the
front runner because this plan
also envisions bending Marine
Drive to put a big chunk of
the former railway land on the
same side of the road as the
golf course. Suddenly, enough
parking for everyone.

There you have it. Clear as
mud? Of course. Whatever
option is chosen, traffic in the
area will double. Thus the
NIMBY reaction by the
Gleneagies ratepayers. Two of
the options will mean shorten-
ing a course that’s already too
shost. It occupies a little over
40 acres, Ideally, a nine-holer
needs 60 acres. Thus the

_ golfers’ main concern. They

believe they" be nibbled to
death.

Then there’s your agents
concern. But first, a litde his-
tory. Nearly a century ago,
much of the Gleneagles’ lay-
out was a farm. The owner
converted it into a par three

golf course in 1926, Shortly
after the war a group of
Jewish golfers bought the
place and purchased some
adjoining land, thus creating
the present fayout and a club
of their own.

Ifvou don’t know the rea-
son why they wanted their
awn course, then you're not a
student of golf history. The
private golt clubs hercabouts
wouldn’t accept Jews as mem-
bers. If tinies have changed,
none of the private clubs have
gone out of their way to make
it known,

In any event, the Jewish
club, in need of more space,
eventually built an 18-holer in
Richmond and moved out
there, selling Gleneagles to
West Van tor $600,000.
Developers and land specula-
tors cried themselves to sleep
at night. Municipal councils
before and since have never
made a smarter move, That
lide nine-holer nets more
than $350,000 a year for the
municipality (60,000-70,000
nine-hole round: a year).

Not only that, but it’s the
only sizable picce of public
green space remaining
berween Winytecliffe Park and
Ambleside. Your agent's con-
cern is this: should the favored
option go ahead and should
the diverse interests of a golf
course and a community cen-
tre create such an ongoing,
wrangle, might not a fature
council throw up its exasperat-
ed arms and say?: “The helt
with it! Let’s keep cnough of
this land for a rink and a pool
and raise a nice $50 million by
selling off the remainder as
building lots.”

Improbable? Not exactly.
Many far west oldtimers can
remember when the late
Victor Odlum deeded his
Whytecliffe estate to UBC as

The Vancouver Canucks and Grizzlies thank the
following organizations for their commitment

land grab

an educational centre,
Supposedly in perpetuity. A
tew years later the university
sold the land and pock cted a
lovely profit. Tuday it’s cov-
ered in houses.

Parks and Reercation is
scheduled to present the
opnons to council which will
make the eventual decision) at
its June & meeting.

Hf golfers plan to attend,
maybe they should go arsed
with pitching wedges.
Intimidation has been known
to work,

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