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NV Council debates fate of

—————

CHARGES OF ‘opportunistic planning"

were levelled

against BCE Development Corporation Monday for not at-
tempting to develop the Park and Tilford Gardens under its

industrial zoning.

North Vancouver City Ald. Elko
Kroon said BCED's 20-acre
development proposal for the site,
which would include an 81,000-
square-foot Save-On-Foods store
and a multi-screen cinema com-
plex, was only slightly different
than the previously rejected
development.

“It just seems to me that we've
taken a 29-acre site and condensed
it into a 19-acre site.’ he told
council.

Noting that BCED (formerly
Daon) had developed industrial
parks all over North America,
Kroon wondered why the company
could not explore some sort of in-
dustrial use for the Park and
Tilford site.

Kroon put forth the compromise
plan that city staff meet with the
developer to try and work out an
industrial/commercial compromise

By STEPHEN BARRINGTON

News Reporier

for the site,

The move came after a bid to
have the application referred to the
Advisory Planning Commission -—
normally the first stage in) the
rezomine process -—— was rejected in
a 3-3 vole,

“Why can thes not come before
this council and show us what they
can do (in terms of industrial
development)?" asked Kreon, ‘I
think we should tell Daon what we
want to do.”

CONCERNS

He continued: *‘Ask Duaon to
show us. to discuss with us, the
concerns we have about the whole
of the site and what they can

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But Ald. Stella) Jo Dean
disagreed. 'T don't believe in-
dustry has been rushing to North
Vancouver,”' she said in response
to Kroon's concerns over the loss
of industrial fand associated with
the proposal.

To iustrate her point, Dean
said that a warehouse on First
Street had been up for sale since
1984 with no buyers in sight, Soe
there is a lack of market interest in
North Vancouver City. for in-
dustrial property * she said.

“The wardens must be saved,’
she said in support of sending the
application to the Advisory Plann-
ing Commission. “Here we have
two thirds commercial and one
third industrial (development) that
will save the gardens."

But in an Il-page report to
council, acting director of
development and licensing Fred
Smith noted that BCED had pro-
vided few details of the garden's
place in the project.

“Our plan review indicates that
the developer appears to be pro-

you're
the best

ON YOUR mark, get
set, crawl! That was the

message

these babies

had at the starting line
of the Crawl for Kids
contest at Lynn Valley

Centre
contest

Saturday. The
was organized

to promote a Babies in
the ‘80s forum at Rob-
son Square Media Cen-
tre on Oct. 3.

NEWS photo Neil Lucente

gardens

T PROJECT STALLED

pul up a screen in our city.”

posing a reduction in the size of
the existing gardens...,"° Smith
said in the report.

“As we approach the winter of
1986, almost two years after the
official closure of the gardens,
how much of the gardens can be
saved and re-established and the
cost of doing so remain
unanswered?" he asked.

INDUSTRIAL LAND

kechoing some aldermen’s con-
esrns over the loss of industrial
land, Smith indicated that efforts
to attract industry to the city
would be seriously hampered if the
project went uhead.

But Ald. Ralph Hall, who pro-
posed the rezoning process begin
right away, said the industry the
city. has so far attracted had
created only a few jobs. “Basically
1 don't give a damn about in-
dustry.” an angry Hall said.

“We haven't vot one cinema
screen here,’ he said. ‘They
(Cineplex Odeon) are going to
come in and spend big bucks and

Hall echoed Dean's comments
about saving the gardens. ‘T think
it's so important to get them back
into operation,’’ he said.
“Everybody says, ‘Oh veah we
should get them back,’ but this is
the only way we can get them
back.

“This business about fight: in-
dustry... does not thrill me at
all,’ Hall repeated.

Kroon later told the News that
his idea was to have the site half
commercial and half light | in-
dustrial. Some type of high-
technology facility would be ideal
for the site, he said. ‘*Pingeorp
should have Jocated there instead
of in Lower Lonsdale."

“They (BCED) have never come
before us with a proposal for in-
dustrial use.’ he said. ‘What J
feel is that the developer is asking
for the moon — what is in it for
us?

“There is lots of money to be
made and [ think we have a chance
to get something out of it,’ said
Kroon.