MONDAY’S ANNOUNCED $85 million project to build a Cassiar Connector between the south end of the Second Narrows Bridge and the Trans-Canada Highway will precede a series of improvement projects to the North Shore’s portion of the highway, North Vancouver-Seymour MLA and Energy Minister Jack Davis said following the announcement. The first of those projects, he said, will be the long-delayed $20 million overpass at Lonsdale and tae highway, which will then be followed by improved highway in- terchanges at Keith Road and Mountain Highway and an expan- sion of the Second Narrows Bridge from six to eight lanes. Davis said he is hopeful money By TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Reporter for the overpass will be in the pro- vincial budget next spring. But North Vancouver-Capilano MLA and Solicitor General Angus Ree, who threatened to consider resigning if money for the Lons- NV DISTRICT DEYELOPMENT Fiesidents want NSWC highrise to be delayed A PACK£D reconvened public hearing at North Vancouver District Ifall Monday night heard residents living adjacent to the sie of the proposed highrise development at the North Shore Winter Club plead with council to delay a decision util an official community plan for the Lynnmour area is in piace. As previously chronicled in the News, the Winter Club, in con- junction with Co-operators Development Corporation Ltd., has applied for rezoning that would see an _ 18-storey con- gregate-care facility for active seniors, together with a new hockey rink and a two-level park- ing structure, built on the Winter Club site at Keith Road and Mountain Highway adjacent to Bridgman Park. At the adjourned public hearing on Oct, 24, support for the pro- posal outnumbered opposition by a ratio of at least three to one, but Monday night’s reconvened meeting heard a greater number of local residents speak out in opposi- tion to the proposed development. Jean Clifford, a resident of Hunter Street in Lower Lynnmour for i! years, acknowledged that the Winter Club, ‘‘has a strong sense of community’’, but went on to describe the proposal as premature. ‘It will establish a highiise precedent before any real effort (has been made) to work with the community to define community need,” she said. ““We think a pian should be in place for the community before a proposal! is even considered. Why ean’t they wait a few months if they are so certain that their plan is a good one,” Clifford concluded. In response to a later question from Ald. Ernie Crist, municipal planner Kai Kreuchen stated that the technical work involved in drawing up an official community plan would take approximately six months before the public process could begin. Frank Kennedy, a 25-year resi- dent of Bruce Street, asked whether council felt bound by assurances of previous councils. Kennedy claimed that during the controversy over the siting of a firchall in Seylynn Park in 1980, Ry MARTIN MILLERCHIP Contributing Writer Mayor Don Pell promised that there would be no development of the Lynnmour area without resident consultation. Kennedy went on to describe the stated need for seniors accom- modation as “hypocritical.” Lettie Whiting, who’ described herself as a senior representing a group of senior citizens, seid that there is no shortage of seniors ac- commodation ‘‘if they can pay what is proposed in rent and other fees. What is required is !ow-rental housing.’’ Ken Fowler, treasurer for the Winter Club, responded to resi- dents’ concerns, saying: ‘‘We would be deeply concerned if we felt that we were affecting the locai community.” In answer to the concern about increased traific, Fowler pointed out that the Empire Fitness Centre would be vacating its leased premises on the site, which would result in a drop in traffic generated by its 800 members. With regard to the concern about overshadowing of Bridgman Park, Fowler asserted that the height of the tower would be no more than 15 feet above existing trees along Keith Road and that some of the trees, not yet fully grown, will ultimately be higher than the proposed building. Graham Crockart, of Graham F. Crockart Architects, in his summation noted: ‘‘We have the support of the planning commis- sion and the directors of the Chamber of Commerce. In dif- ferent ways the composition of both these bodies represent the ob- jective community at large.”’ The public hearing concluded with council deciding to return the matter for consideration to the next regular meeting on Nov. 14. dale overpass was not in the 1988 budget, said Monday he would make no announcement on the start of overpass construction until the project had officially been put out to tender. Construction on the Lonsdale overpass, which was originally an- nounced three years ago along with a similar overpass at Westview and the highway, was delayed again this year after former highways minister Stephen Rogers confirmed that no money was in the budget for the project. Work on the Westview overpass is still scheduled to follow the Lonsdale overpass. But although a public meeting was held recently to Lae) nL ¢ fire 3 - Wednesday, November 9, 1988 - North Shore News MP DAVIS HOPES LONSDALE OVERPASS FUNDING APPROVED Cassiar Connector to precede NV highway improvement plans invite input into the Westview design, no estimated start date for the project has been given by the proviacial government. Davis said the Cassiar Connec- tor will relieve chronic commuter congestion at the south end of the Second Narrows, and the subse- quent highway projects at its north end will streamline transpcriation from the North Shore. Funded by the provincial and federal governments and the City of Vancouver, the connector will include a six-lane tunnel running between Triumph and Adanac streets in Vancouver. Interchanges will be constructed at either end of the tunnel to pro- vide uninterrupted traffic flow northbound to the Second Nar- rows Bridge and the North Shore, and southbound to the Trans- Canada Highway. Cassiar and Hastings is currently the busiest intersection west of Toronto, handling an estimated 100,000 vehicles daily, and cur- rently the worst bottleneck in We.tern Canada, according to Transportation and Highways Minister Neil Vant. Work will start on the new con- nector next year and is scheduled to be completed in the sate spring of 1991. An estimated 250 jobs will be generated directly from the project. e mets NEWS photo Nelf Lucente HEAVY RAINS caused approximately 1,000 gallons of gasoline to spill from a newly installed gas tank at a Deep Cove Petro-Canada station Friday. A provincial Waste Management spokesperson said the full 3,000-gallon tank shifted and rolled 30 degrees after the trench it was in flooded with rain water. A pipe connected to the tank broke, allowing the gasoline to spilt out. North Vancouver District firefighters responded to the scene. The spilled gas was pumped out of the trench. The Waste Management officia! believed most of the spill was recovered because the gasoline floated on the water and the dense, clay soil surrounding the tank did not readily absorb the hazardous material. Business .............. 59 Christmas News........23 Classified Ads..........58 Doug Collins.... Editorial Page.......... 6 Food...............+..44 Bob Hunter............ 4 Lifestyles..............53 North Shore Now.......27 Sports .........-...-.. 17 TV Listings............31 What's Going On........56 WEATHER | Wednesday, cloudy with rain. Thursday, periods of rain. Highs near 17°C. Scheol gets go ahead From page 1 dle before school construction can break ground. “The more things are delayed, the more things cost. The land assessment is up and construction will cost more. A budget prepared two years ago just won’t hold.”’ The five-acre school site proper- ty, originally estimated to be worth approximately $1.4 million has now been valued at $2.1 million. While residents have been poin- ting fingers at the province for the earlicr derailing of the fast track funding, North Van- couver-Seymour MLA Jack Davis said the school construction pro- cess had been stalled duz to a delay by North Vancouver District and school board officials in deciding a purchase price for the school site land parcel. Said Davis: ‘‘The Indian River elementary school is a priority pro- ject in so far as the government is concerned. It’s funding is fast tracked by the Ministry of Educa- tion, so the province’s 70 per cent is not at issue. It hasn’t been a problem in the past and it isn’t likely to be a problem in the future.”” But Berg confirmed a price had been fixed for the school site property and had been submitted to Victoria for approval. ‘‘We are waiting for their response to the price,’’ he said. Once Victoria gives the go-ahead to call for construction tenders, Berg said the tendering process could be completed in four to six weeks. No charges laid in bus mishap NORTH VANCOUVER RCMP will not be laying charges in connection with the Oct. 27 BC Transit bus mishap on Upper Lonsdale Avenue. The police investigation con- cluded that the accident occurred when an 18-year-old man stepped off a bus at a north bound bus stop. The man tried to cross Lons- dale in front of the bus, but he was struck by a car mid-block. Bus driver Victor McMulien left the bus to attend the injured man. The bus was equipped with a safe- ty device which applies the brakes when the doors are open. The braking system held in excess of five minutes before releasing. The runaway bus rolled down the street, crashed into a power pole and burst into flames. Pieces of the safety system were so badly burned, investigators were unable to determine a reason for brake failure. Provincial motor vehicle inspec- tors determined the overall! condi- tion of the bus was good. BC Transit is investigating the possibility of installing a back up or warning system to prevent simi- lar future bus failures. Bus passengers James Callender, 58, and Alice Pearson, 81, were in- jured when they jumped from the roiling bus.