Anna Marie D'Angelo NORTH VANCOUVER District Council will be having preliminary discussions about amalgamating North Vanceuver City and District. During the last district council meeting, Ald. Joan Gadsby’s proposal to set up a task force on the issue did not receive support. Gadsby said amalgamation would save money through elimina- tion of duplicate services and staffing provided by the Should N. Van City and District amalgamate? Joyce Kersey North Vancouver City I think that 1 prefer them separate, because they both have their own distinctive characteristics. Tammy Sauwden North Vancouver City I agree with the saving money, but I have reser- vations that things won't get done as quickly if it costs. were one huge municipality. Wally Dowling North Vancouver City Yes, for sure, to reduce city and district to North Vancouver residents. Amaigamation opponents argue that the district has dif- ficulties satisfying the needs of residents in areas such as Deep Cove and that making a larger municipality would increase that problem. They say the city’s unique needs would not be serviced adequately in a combined . municipality. Blair Thotnpson North Vancouver District 1 think they should work towards it. Some people don’t know if they live in the district or city until they get their tax notices. Michele Walton North Vancouver City 1 find it confusing know- . ing where you lie, whether it is the city or the district. I’ve lived in both, and I haven’t really noticed a big difference. _ Council rezones potential apartment site. ONE OF WEST Vancouver’s last available sites for apartment construction has scale development. Following. a Monday night public hearing that threatened to turn into a ‘‘legal sparring match,’’ West Vancouver District Council met again on Wednesday night and passed a bylaw to rezone 1871 Marine Dr. for a three-storey commer- cial/residential building. “I strongly believe that it is in the best interest of the neighborhood and the community at large,’’ said Ald. Andy Danyliu. Also adopted was an amend- ment to the Official: Community been rezoned for a smaller By Maureen Curtis Contributing Writer Plan to accommodate the rezoning on the 1800-biock of Marine Drive. Attendance at the final readings of the bylaws was in quiet con- trast to the Monday hearing, ‘when area residents came out in full support of the changes while legal council for the owner of the adja- cent lot argued at length against those changes. : AREA OS WEST VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL Allan On Monday Jim Soltan, lawyer night, for Dr. Sweeney, the owner of the proper- . ty adjacent to 1871 Marine, grilled West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager, who is also a lawyer, for nearly an hour on _ procedural aspects of the rezoning. Sweeney’s main concern is that the rezoning will prevent him from acquiring 1871 Marine Dr. and combining it with his property at 1891 Marine Dr. so that an Use increases during summer months From page 6 chronize the existing lights on Lynn Valley Road would likely add another $10,000 to the total. Duplissie went back to collect- ing petition signatures, and staff confirmed with other municipalities that a traffic signal would not usually be installed at a crosswalk that had an existing signal one block away. . At Monday night’s meeiing, staff continued to recommend against a pedestrian traffic signal’ and suggested either closing the crosswalk completely or installing pedestrian warning signs or special crosswalk signals. . Duplissie said he was not prepared to consider just overhead warning signs. “The way I feel about it is that the elderly and the children need to de protected,” Duplissie said as he handed another 342 petition signatures to the committee. But he agreed that a special crosswalk signal similar to the ones now in place at Queens Road and Mahon Avenue and Lillooet Road at Purcell Way would be a reasonable compromise. The crosswalk signals are overhead, internally illuminated “Pedestrian Crosswalk’’ signs that include flashing amber signals and downlighting. The committee unanimously agreed to recommend the installa- tion to council at a cost of ap- proximately $25,000. apartment could be built on the site. Neither of the properties alone is big enough for such a structure. “The owners of 1891 (Marine Dr.) are frustrated that they don’t own both properties, but they had that opportunity and that oppor- tunity is lost,’ Sager said Mon- day. When negotiations to sell 1871 Marine Dr. fell through several months ago, the property’s owners initiated the process of rezoning their lot for an individual devel- opment. But Sweeney applied to the B.C. Suprerne Court to have the original rezoning bylaw quashed, which prompted council to restart the rezoning process with a new bylaw accompanied by an amendment to the Official Com- munity Plan and a new set of public hearings. Many of those who had sup- ported the original rezoning for a three-storey building instead of a highrise returned Monday night to support it again. ; “Please don’t let my view be blocked by another highrise,’’ said Duchess Avenue resident Lillian O’Hara. Former West Vancouver mayor Derrick Humphreys charged that Soltan’s questioning of Sager was *‘audacious’’ and accused him of “stirring the pot and looking under flat rocks.” Soltan said Sweeney was con-: cerned that rezoning 1871 Marine Dr. would reduce the amount of potential residentiai accommoda- tion in West Vancouver, par- ticularly for senior citizens, and reduce the municipality’s overall ' tax base. . The rezoning would also con- stitute ‘‘spot’’ zoning, Soltan said, which would be inconsistent with. the Officiai Community Plan (OCP) and create a. surplus of area commiercial space. oa Soltan said it would also have the ultimate effect of downzoning Sweeney’s adjacent property. But Ald. Pat Boname em- phasized that only 1871 Marine. Dr. was being rezoned, Sweeney's challenge of the orig-- inal bylaw was scheduled to be heard in court on June 5. NEW IN TOWN? LET US PUT OUT THE MAT FOR You! . be sure to call §26-2753 or 980-9738