Residents object to group home development in Lynn Valley area Request district consult with prov. on placement of homes A GROUP of Lynn Valley residents is calling on the pro- vincial government to stop building group homes in the area. The disgruntled group has circulated a petition op- posing the construction of what is the latest in a series of group home developments. The B.C. Housing Management Commission (BCHMC) has bought property at 3895 Phyllis Rd. for the construction of a * group home. Chery! Andrews, who fives near . the site, said investigations by area residents have found there are 14 group homes within a one-mile radius of each other in Lynn Valley for a total of 96 beds. ‘*We realized that most of the group homes in North Vancouver District were being built here (Lynn Valley) and we didn’t see any reason for that. If they’re (provincial government) looking at integration of group homes then let all the communities share in that integration. 44 These are not people who will be. _ integrated... I don’t ~ think they'll be coming over for a chat. — Lynn Valley resident Cheryl Andrews “That is not happening right now,”’ said Andrews. She added that neither the BCHMC nor the provincial social services and housing ministry bothered to consult with area res- idents before deciding to purchase the Phyllis Road property for the group home. Andrews said it was her under- standing that the group home will house four adults who are physi- cally and mentally disabled and blind. She added that a large fence will also be constructed on the property. *“We were told that one of them screams 2 lot. These are not peo- ple who will be integrated into the neighborhood. I don’t think they’ll be coming over for a chat,”’ said Andrews. She added that North Van- couver District should consult with the provincial government to By Surj Rattan News Reporter determine the location of group homes. Meanwhile, Mark Bostwick, North Vancouver District social planning analyst, has recommend- ed to district social planaer Erica Bell-Lowther that the district write to the health and social ser- vices and housing ministries ‘‘call- ing their attention to the fact that Lynn Vatley has a_ dispropor- tionate share of group homes.”’ Victor Bedrossian, who lives next door to the proposed group home, said he fears his property value will decrease with the con- struction of such a facility. “This wit! change my life. Some peopie don’t mind the group homes but shese people are a mi- nority. This is not something normal. You can have problems with these groups of people. *‘Someone said these people are not responsible for what they do. Normal people don’t like it,’ said Bedrossian. . He added the BCHMC paid about $215,000 for the property next to his house and said the group. home will ‘‘affect our fami- ly’s enjoyment and ability to live comfortably in our home.’’ Bedrossian said area residents should have first been asked for their opinion before the decision was made to locate the new group home. “We are concerned that because of this action by the government we might have to sell our house and relocate. In the event that. we cannot reach an agreément we believe that the government should financialiy compensate us for any loss that we may suffer due to this group home,” said Bedrossian. But North Vancouver-Lonsdale NDP MLA David Schreck said - that while the BCHMC reports to the provincial government, the government does not play a role in deciding where group homes wilt be located. “It’s not a question of the pro- vincial government imposing group homes on people,’’ said Schreck. ‘‘You and a group of friends could move into a house nert door to me and, provided there are not separate cooking fa- cilities, there is not enything I could do about it,”’ he added. ® Inquiring Reporter & Lifestyles Weather Monday and Tuesday - mostly cloudy. Highs 22°C, Lows 13°C. Second Class Registration Number 3865 Sunday, July 5, 1992 ~ North Shore News - 3 Lifesaver NEWS photo Paul McGrath CANADA POST mai! courier Serge Theriault (right) recently risked his life to save the life of Apache, a dog trapped in a burning. The dog’s owner Daniel Delange (left) thanks Theriault at the scene. The mail courier heard the dog barking. Crawling through thick smoke, Theriault kicked in what he thought was a door and the dog ran to safety. The fire destroyed a house located in the 600-block of Shannon Crescent in North Vancouver. Logging trucks continue to roll on NVD streets ._LOGGING TRUCKS will continue to roll out of local watersheds and on to North Vancouver District streets. By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter ; Ald. Ernie Crist had submitted a motion in March to prohibit logging trucks from using Lillooet Road and Capilano Road north of Edgemont Boulevard for a six- month period. Crist argued that the roads are not designed to handle the heavy trucks and the district had to pay for the extraordinary wear and tear on the roads. Crist also said the logging trucks were a potential safety hazard. But after two district staff reports, a legal opinion, letters from the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), and lack of support from other district counci! members, Crist said no further action will be taken on the issue. “According to’ a staff report, there was no appreciable impact on the roads. You are not allowed to close roads (to particular vehi- cles) unless they constitute a hazard, It is very difficult to demonstrate that,” said Crist. In a letter to the district in June, GVRD watershed operations superintendent Derek Bonin said logging trucks had been hauling along Lillooet and Capilano roads over the past 30 years. According to GVRD statistics: @ 1992 projected total loads will be 2,450 with 750 from the Seymour watershed and 1,700 from Capilano; @ 1991 total loads were 750 with 300 from the Seymour watershed and 450 from Capilano; @ 1990 total loads were 1,650 with 1,400 from the Seymour wa- tershed, 250 from Capilano. According to a district staff report, buses travel up and down Lillooet and Capilano roads more than 30,000 times a year. During North Vancouver District council discussion about the trucks, Ald. Paul Turner noted the issue may really be log- ging in the watershed, and not the possible extra cost te taxpayers for road maintenance. “*You don’t use one law to try to do something else,’’ said Turner on Thursday. Crist told the News that he thought continued watershed log- ging was ‘‘a crime” and that his original motion was prompted by a resident who wrote a letter to complain about logging trucks. A district staff report concluded that buses, and not logging trucks, may have a significant impact on the life span of Capilano and: Lillooet roads. The report noted that Togging trucks add to the deterioration of roads as do other vehicles.