Wednesday, October 8, 1997 — North Shore News -- 3 ~ va s Cash lined up ‘for new bridge fee West Van chamber finds investors f By Michael Becker News Editor - michael@nsnews.com a SUPPORTERS of a First Narrows Crossing Authority are making available up to $1 billion of private money to replace ' the Lions Gate Bridge. A few months ago the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce called for ‘the creation a local bridge authority to manage income raised by bridge tolls. The crossing authority would also arrange financing to build the bridge. The authority would involve all parties directly affected by the bridge including North Vancouver City and District, West Vancouver District, the Squamish Nation, and Vancouver and its park board. Ata chamber meeting Tuesday, Transportation Minister Lois Boone voiced _ support for the authority. _- ” Atoll on the Lions Gate could service the debt in the first half of the toll’s life and pay back residents in the second half. West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce president John Clark said locals would pay a toll while the bridge id be eliminated for North is being paid off. When it’s paid off, the tolls coul fa. Shore commuters. The toll could continue to be charged to others to help pay - back the people who paid for the bridge in the first place. Toll cash could also - go to authority stakeholders to hold the line on tax increases. ~, Clark refused to reveal the identity of the private investors. _. Boone will be looking at the Vancouver International Airport Authority model as a possible . example to follow for the Lions Gate Bridge authority. The airport authority collects the Vancouver Airport Improvement Fee to fund capital projects. Authority members arc not elected. The group’s < business is conducted privately. Clark said Tuesday that he received a letter from West Vancouver-Capilzno Liberal MLA Jeremy ennis bubble will serve s temporary indcor site By Andrew McCredie . Associate Editor andrew@nsnews.cow: ‘THE folks at Larco, they of the big |‘ box brouhaha, have given North Shore teanis players shelter from the storm. No strings attached. o. And despite two recent incidents of vandzlism,-the 4: tennis bubble atthe former Cap West Country Club at 2035: Fullerton opens soon under the auspices of the North : Vancouver Indoor Tennis Centre Association (NVITCA). -: _“There*s’a lot of interest,” reports the association’s Elmer ‘Helm. “We figure they'll be maybe 600 tennis players that will vant to make use of it.” + ole .For most.of those players, the prospect of playin door tennis on the North Shore this winter was 2s lk . ly as returning a Pete Samprass first serve when Cap West closed its doors recently after 42 years of operation. Larco, the West Vancouver-based company that owns ‘arid operates Park Royal Shopping Centre, tumed the lights off at Cap West after safety and liability concerns, “in addition to declining use, made the club’s operation unfeasible. But, according to Larco development manager Rhys : | Duggan, that didn’t inean some components of the facil- - | ity couldn’t be used. ““We realized the ice and the indoor tennis facilities were the hardest to replace so we offered them to the dis- {trict for short-term use,” Duggan says. “North Van District engineers came to the same con- ‘dusion that Larco did about the ice rink —- too great a ‘liability. The indoor tennis bubble, however, proved an by a new Lions Gate Bridge. interesting fit for the district. The NVITCA was formed a few years ago by tennis players interested in getting a public indoor tennis facili- ty in North Vancouver and in that time had consistently lobbied council for their cause. Last year’s recreation referendum agreed with that sentiment. So when Larco offered an indoor tennis facil- ity for free, the district jumped at the opportunity to let the association lease the tennis bubble and put its figures to the test. “They have offered this free,” says. Helm. “The NVITCA is leasing from Larco; it’s not the district. We've agreed to take on all the responsibilities of running it.” Since the association took over the operation on Oct. 1, by some unlucky coincidence, those responsibilities have included repairing the bubble for cuts — twice. “Someone broke the chain, went in and cur the bub- ble,” says Helm. “We don’t know if it’s a reaction to Larco, but we’re pretty sure it wasn’t vandalism. It looks like a very deliberate act.” Duggan, admitting that the timing of the vandalism was odd, discounts the possibility that it is connected to Larco’s involvement in the Park Royal big box contro- versy. “It’s (the bubble) operated for 4 couple of years and we've never had that problem (vandalism),” Duggan says. “But it’s (the club) vacant, and I tink it’s just kids.” Volunteers worked Saturday and Sunday last weekend to make the repairs so that the bubble could be in use for opening day. The district has supplied a portable building for use as a club office, and telephone lines were installed earlier this week. “We've got a pro manager to run the operation and we plan to hire students to work part-time,” says Helm. He added that the association plans to keep the bub- ble open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, « For more information about the NVITCA call the Delbrook recreation centre at 987-7529. Dalton indicating that the four Liberal MLAs are in su; But the news came as a surprise to at least one of MLA Ted Nebbeling: “Jeremy never talked to me about this. The constituents of the West Vancouver-Garibaldi riding do not accept as a foregone conclusion or a first option, the matter of charging a toll on the bridge,” he said. Coun. blasts mall owners From page 1 less,” Williams said. “It was made clear at the public meeting that if West Vancouver saw fit not to (grant) them the traffic facilities which they were asking, that they would go ahead with their development anyways and they would use the existing traffic facili- ties. Well that’s not good enough. Ie’s not good enough for West Vancouver and it’s not good enough for your council,” he said. He moved that an independent, non-partisan, traffic study examine: @ current traffic volume, roadway geometrics and capacity of Taylor Way/Marine Drive intersection at the approach to Park Royal; @ current and anticipated traffic growth due to increased develop- ment at Horseshoe Bay, Lions Bay, Sea to Sky Highway (Squamish), Lions Gate Bridge, Taylor Way and Marine intersection, Marine Drive west of Capilano River, Low Level Road in North Vancouver, Upper Levels Highway and on Squamish Nation land. ; In view of the proposed develop- ment at Park Royal South, and in view of potential future develop- ment to use the site’s full density, the study will also examine the impact of: IB the redesign of points of Marine Drive to include reduction in the number and location of access points from Marine Drive to Park Royal NEWS photo Paul McGrath WEST Vancouver Chamber of Commerce President John Clark is a proponent of the First Narrows Crossing Authority. The authority would manage the financing for and tolis generated rt of a bridge authority. - i¢ MLAs. Said West Vancouver-Garibaldi property; @ installation of median barriers on Marine Drive to prevent jay-walk- ing; B climination of feft-turn traffic from Marine Drive into Park Royal; @ the redesign or removal of the pedestrian crossing on Marine Drive adjacent to the bus stop; M@ the possible elimination of left- turn lanes for westbound traffic turning south at the Taylor Way/Marine Drive intersection. _ Wa report about the ownership and operation of the south and north- bound ramps on Taylor Way which provide access to the second level at Park Royal North; ; @ invitation to the Squamish Band council, North Vancouver District council and the Ministry of Transportation and Highways to jointly discuss long-term traffic pro- Jections within their jurisdictions. The motion was carried unani-. mously. Mayor Pat Boname excused her- self from this agenda item due to an investigation into a possible conflict of interest. Rhys Duggan, development manager for Larco Enterprises, was the only representative on hand to tear the news Monday. He said it’s council’s prerogative to reject the proposed traffic improvements. Duggan said he still has confi- dence in the “Bunt (traffic) report.” “It is unfortunate that council has chosen to turn their back on our thorough traffic report,” he said. “If the district does not want to cooperate, maybe we'll have to revis- it the plans — perhaps find alternate access which does not involve municipal jurisdiction.” :. From page 1 m™. council heard from Citizens’ Community 8: Health Coalition representative Peter Miller, who § addressed council on traffic concems regarding _ the mall development. ; “As many of you may know,” said the mayor, “my husband Phil Boname is a retail consultant. Respected internationally and mm. often quoted (in various publications), he is * best known in Vancouver for his award-win- ning merchandising of the Granville {sland . concept and the Whistler town centre. ©" “The last work he has done in West Vanccuver was the Caulfeild Centre where he ‘vised the developers that West Vancouver deserved the highest quality tenants. As you know the Safeway is called ‘Someplace Special’ and the Pharmasave is not your average phar- macy. “Since 1 have been a member of council, Phil has not worked in West Vancouver. Late last Wednesday, 1 was asked by Catherine Barr of the North Shore News if my husband worked for Laren. T told her ‘no,’ that Larco’s retailing advisers were Jan Thomas Consultants. “Twas not aware of any involvement since Larco first appeared in Vancouver. However, just to be sure, | asked my husband the same | Mayor steps aside due to husband’s Larco deals question. “Now just to go back — when we arrived in Vancouver in 1972, Phil designed the Arbutus Village Centre in Vancouver.... “Eight months ago he was asked to update the centre by the current owner. That new owner is Larco. He has also provided a study for a retail operation in Edmonton, Alberta, also owned by Larco. Phil is not currently con- tracted by Larco for any studies. Phil did not believe there was a conflict of interest in the situation because the location was outside of West Vancouver. “FE have made the municipal manager aware of the situation this afternoon (Monday). There is discussion which needs to take place berween the municipal solicitor as referenced under the Municipal Act and council’s own recently adopted conflict of interest policy. “Une that has occurred, | would like to advise council, and those present, that to avoid even the perception of conflict, I will be asking Coun, (Russ) Fraser, acting, mayor, to take the chair in matters related to Larco until the mat- ter is resolved. “1 ‘vould ask that the municipal clerk record this statement in the minutes and | would ask Coun. Fraser to take the chair — and I would ask to be excused.” After the meeting Boname said she is still committed to protecting the interests of West Vancouver citizens. She looks forward to “developing a protocol with the Squamish Nation tor future development.”