loses | Neighbours split on community value of Blendl’s application Brady Fotheringham Contributing Writer A split West Vancouver council vote Monday night narrowly defeated 2 contentious application for a liquor licence application at Blend!’s Bistro and Bakery in the municipality’s Fis* nan’s Cove area. Over 80 people sat patiently through council's last summer session as district councillors weighed resident concerns that ranged from noisy kitchen fans, parking and restaurant seating, capacity. The 5775 Marine Dr. site was formerly occupied by a Shell gas station. An application for a liquor licence at the location tor the proposed Cedar Cafe bike shop bakery and cafe was turned down in 1996. In March a husband and wife business team led by Fernando Blendl opened Blendl’s Bistro and Bakery at the address. Blend! maintains that without a liquor licence his restaurant is not financially viable. Blendl reapplied this summer for a class “B" dining room liquor licence limiting sales to beer and wine. The restaurant includes a 20-seat dining room and an additional 20 seats out- doors. The Blendl’s Apri! application for a dining lounge liquor licence was turned down because of the pending Bill 80 Liquor Statutes Aniendment Act and the uncertainty regarding pro- iquor posed changes to the liquor licensing process. Since 1980, West Vancouver's policy has been to request that the Liquer Control Licensing Board (LCLB) not issue any liquor licences without the district’s approval. Many residents like Jane Reid who supported the applica- tion bid want a quiet place similar to the Savary Island Pic Company and Jody's Fine Foods and Catering in Ambleside where they can enjoy a glass of wine, pastry or baguette. “I would like to have a place where we can walk to and have a glass of wine with dinner without going to Ambleside or Dundarave,” Reid said. But residents opposed to the licence application complained ofa noisy fan and kitchen staff that banged pots into the mid- die of the night. Despite department and police reports that said the kitchen fan complied with municipal noise bylaws, some residents like Ron Davenport were firmly against the cafe turned restaurant. District social planner Richard Wagner concluded in his report that “the potential for noise and traffic impacts on sur- rounding residents should be minimal.” The report stated that the closest home to the neighbour- hood-style cafe is 100 feet (30m) from the building and up a steep slope. But no one could agree on how many homes were within a 300-foot (100m) radius of the site and likely to be affected. Other concerns included the possibility that the bistro might be rezoned into 2 full-blown sports bar or pub with rowdy drunk college kids. Amalia Richardson was one of several neighbours who said the area lacked a sense of community and a common gathering place. “I actually don’t drink although I support (the liquor bid). Blendl’s provides something the community lacks: community spirit. People can get to know cach other and most of us arc ied trees upset city residents Brady Fotheringham Contributing Writer SEVERAL North Vancouver City resi- dents woke up July 15 to find over a dozen trees cut down in front of their apartment complex. The trees were felled as part of a city project to rebuild an old wooden culvert that collapsed a year and a half ago in Thain Creek located near Queens Avenuc and 29th Street. The culvert overhaul is pact of a $1.8 million culvert replacement project that start- ed fast week. The project also includes rebuilding a piping system underneath Westview Drive near Queens Avenue. After the project is com- pleted near the end of September, the creek will have been reinforced with boulders and contour landscaping which will open up the creek channel for coho salmon and cutthroat trout. City parks manager Bill Granger said rhe residents shouldn't be concerned about the felling of the 15 trees. “Most of the trees are too big to relocate and we're replanting over 88 wees and bushes to provide for a better fish habitat,” Granger said. Some residents living in the adjacent Cypress and Delbrook Gardens townhous- es didn’t know about the four open house meetings that have been held by the city over the past year. Granger, however, said the city has gone through a long process of notifying acigh- ours and cooperating with BC Parks about the construc- tion plans. Meetings were held at William Griffin centre, Delbrook centre and North § = Vancouver City hall. NEWS phote Brao Ledwidge TREES near the Cypress Gardens townhouses in _ Fresh Blueberry Buy one and get one FREE =... $6.95 ea. | Westlynn Bakery 1 41599 LYNN VALLEY RD., LYNN VALLEY CENTRE ne eal SOL wien ivn “eciNy Yate Biche Reh deh st eal, wba’ cin! Deere, : Westview are being removed as part of a culvert " replacement project at Thain Creek. Pie 985-1622 Granger said flyers were also distributed door to door but he said some people just throw out their junk mail without looking at it. Berni Hilliard, a Cypress Gardens resident who knew nothing about any of the } North Park Mons Hair Park Royal North § (near tho Bay) ~ i | i ] * subject to availability of fresh a: valid July 30a SON meetings, is concerned that the new trees being replaced won't act as a noise barrier. “I'm furious about these workers cutting down trees. I didn’t know anything about it,” Hilliard said. Thain Creek, which runs the length of the two town- house complexes, turns south and feeds into Mosquito Creek. Over the past 40 years the creek has been diverted through aging wooden stays which have slowly collapsed. Granger said he’s not sur- prised the culvert gave way after years of erosion and said the new landscaping will pro- vide for a better habitat for spawning fish. ‘Just time middle-aged pecple who won't be leaving drunk,” Richardson said. Blend} and his business partner Boris Schaffer said the bistro is losing money and without dinner customers they don’t have a chance to break even. Schaffer said the LCLB assured them a fiquor licence would be casily granted, even one allowing hard liquor. “Even though we're Mexican and we like margaritas we decided not to apply tor a hard liquor licence because of resi- dents* concerns,” Blend! said. Blendl and Schafter gathered over 400 signatures from res- idents supporting the bistro-restaurant concept. Resident Arthur Allen said the “smell of fresh bread is a wel- come change to the auto products and gasoline” that occupied the site previously. Councillors Ron Wood and Allan Williams supported the liquor application bid along with acting Mayor Liz Byrd. Voting against the proposal were councillors Victor Durman, Bill Soprovich and Russ Fraser. nf d99” Aachedes: sold pte sofa bes frase, Urge foun care ten, scetch-guarbed flan Caves, 7am aed pide covers. bake gonads est FACTORY FUTON ai Ag Enirance ln reat lane Nea.~ Sat Tl-Gpua Sanding 12-5 pe Formarty Shell Reptd Lube Lonsdale & 13th a eis =—l(ié LL: CHNAANNG Expires September 159 7 medi Sache for summer’ Sale Sale from July 30, 1989 to August 6, 1999 as While quantities last, some exceptions may apply. arden New Summer Hours PLANTS GALO Garden & : Patio Cemtre Men.-Wed. 10am - 6pm Thurs.-Fri. 10cGim - Sat.