Victoria Park development |‘

One 15-storey or two 10-storey highrises proposed

ARCHITECTS AND devel-
opers vow to build two
10-storey buildings on a
Victoria Park West site if
North Vanccuver City
. Council does not allow the
rezoning designation neces-
sary to construct one 1[5-
storey building on the lot.

NORTH VANCOUVER
CITY COUNCIL

by Kevin Gillies -;

The site straddles Victoria Park
Drive West at 160 West Keith Rd.,
just east of Chesterfield Avenue.

Noort Homes has the right
under the present RH-1 zoning to
build to a height of 100 feet (30.5
m) without a public hearing.

After: ‘consultation’. with city
staff, however, the developers
were persuaded to purchase the
Victoria Park. West property and
apply for rezoning (to CD-247) to
allow one 150-foot-high . (46 m)
building on 20%: of the lot’s
space, instead of two 100-foot-
high - buildings across ‘the entire
lot.
Said Hamilton- Doyle Architects

spokesman Gerald Hamilton at a

council. meeting Monday, ‘‘The
*“ reason .we’re here is not only do

‘we believe — ‘but we were led to.

believe after much discussicn with
the (city) staff, the planning com-

‘mission, and the design panel —_

44 Developers are preparing to

develop regardless of whether they

build one or two buildings. 99

that it is better in this particular
case to have one building that is
slightly taller and stays within the
OCP (Official! Community Plan)
limits, than to have two buildings

‘that are each taking so much

viewing space.”’

The OCP allows for 150-foot-
high buildings in the area, but a
public hearing is vequired before
council can vote on a rezoning
proposal.

Local residents opposed to the
proposal say the new building will
increase traffic, decrease available
parking, decrease views, . reduce
privacy and lower nearby Property
values.

The loudest objections came
when .Noort Homes spokesman
Merlin Wick suggested that -con-
struction of the single. 150-foot
building would take 14 months to
complete.

Victoria. Park resident Mike -

Butterfield questioned the public
mecting’s relevance given that
buildings on the property are al-
ready vacant. Hamilton said the
developers are preparing to devel-
op regardless. of whether they
build one or two buildings.

Supporters of the proposal say
the single-building option will
reduce view-corridor loss, increase
park'.area. and will be more
esthetically pleasing than the
two-building option. .

Some residents who favor’ the
proposal belicve the proposal! will
“help clean up the area.’’

They cite East Keith Road-as an
example of how highrise develop-
ments make that area more ap-
pealing.

Voting on the rezoning applica-
tion was deferred to next weck’s
meeting.

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