BC RAIL RIGHT-OF-WAY Gleneagles residents raise ruckus over plans Opponents say development would ruin Seaview link to Nelson Canyon Park TWO HUNDRED angry Gleneagles residents packed a meeting Wednesday night at West Vancouver’s Gleneagles Golf Course clubhouse to voice their opposition to any development proposals on the BC Rail right-of-way in the area. “It’s ironic and somewhat un- fortunate that the threat of a loss of amenities should bring us together. Who said the residents of the west are apathetic?”’ said Roy Bartholomew, a director of the Gleneagles Ratepayers Association, which convened. the meeting. The land in question incor- porates what appears on West :, Vancouver District maps as the Seaview Walk, running from the railway’s Nelson Creek Tunnel en- trance, west above Fisherman’s Cove and around to Horseshoe Bay. Former district parks director Heinz Berger told the meeting that the long-term plan for the Seaview Walk was to link it with Nelson Canyon Park to the north. The link would provide a trail from Horseshoe Bay into the mountains that does not cross a single road. Any development at any point THE CAPILANO Athletic Health Club (CAHC), now facing demolition, is located on a site familiar to may North Shore families. By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter The, club, at 2035 Fullerton Ave. in’ North Vancouver, was once the. home of Courthouse West and before that, the North Shore Winter Club. . © Keith McKenzie and his family opened the latest incarnation of a health club. at the location in, September 1991. “It was in a state of very bad disrepair when we took over,” said McKenzie. McKenzie .said 600 members ‘ (more than 1,000 family members) ’.f/om North Vancouver and West Vancouver have joined his club by - paying “a a’ one-time $500 initiation fee. “There are no restrictions on membership,’’ said McKenzie. Members pay monthly fees - ranging from $20 to $60. -, “What we'want to do is create - an alternative to Hollyburn,”’ said McKenzie. » He said approximately $800,000 has been spent so far to upgrade the 54,000 sq. ft. (4,860 sq. m) club. By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer on the trail route would destroy that concept. Other land uses that could be affected by development are the overflow parking for Gleneagles Golf Course and BC Ferries Corp. passengers at Horseshoe Bay, and a soccer field. Local ire was raised iast week as BC Rail circulated information to area residents about a public con- sultation process over the Crown corporation’s intention ‘‘to exam- ine some alternate uses for our unused railway right-of-way.” Interactive Choices, a company specializing in public participa- tion, will coordinate and chair a series of !0 public meetings, but participation is limited to 25 par- ticipants at a time. And that approach has many Woodcroft Towers A new roof, a rebuilt ice arena, a new $60,000 Zamboni, a newly repaired pool, resurfaced tennis courts, and a new paint job are among the extensive repairs done, said McKenzie. “What we have done is not for locals suspicious of the process. “‘What an excellent way to keep the neighborhood from knowing each other’s position,’’ charged one. But many speakers counselled against boycotting the process, because there is little solid infor- mation about any development from BC Rail at present. West Vancouver Coun. Rod Day told the meeting that council only heard about the proposal last week, “We don’t know a lot more about this than you do: BC Rail has been moving very quickly,”’ said Day. He said there was no formal subdivision .application at this point, but that BC Rail had ap- proached the district’s approving officer with a 50-lot ‘‘paper’’ subdivision ‘‘to find out what the approving officer might be willing to look at.”" Interactive Choices spokesman Ted McLean told the News that BC Rail has not used the Gleneagles right-of-way since 1972, when the Nelson Creek Tunnel was built following a derailment. ., — {HIGHER DENSITY 4 RESIDENTIAL HOUSING PROPOSED FOR HEALTH CLUS SITE ; NEWS graphic Jacqueline Johnson the short term,’’ said McKenzie. McKenzie said North Vancouver District rents ice space for minor hockey, while West Vancouver hockey teams rent ice space direct- ly from the club. : ““Since we did the arena, it’s Larco to hold further public meetings From page % the members of the athletic club by entering into an agreement with the North Shore Winter Club. . “We believe there is room for --one club on the North Shore and that is the North Shore Winter Club. We have reached an agree- “ment with the North Shore Winter Club to give them some capital contributions. |! “We would be able to transfer :. "members of the Capilano Athletic “Health Club to the North Shore ‘Winter Club in exchange for that ’ capital contribution,” said Lalji., He said that he is still meeting with McKenzie and is optimistic that an agreement can be reached. But several area homeowners and club members who attended the public meeting told Larco to leave the athletic club alone. Some also accused Larco of being dishonest and pointed to Larco’s’ decision to terminate a lease with the owner of the Oasis Car Wash near Park Royal and the removal of a section of trees behind Park Royal. , But said Lalji, ‘‘Larco wants to work with the community because we are part of the community.” Added Haibeck: ‘‘! would say there has been a lot of bad press (about Larco) out there. I won't disagree. I was not involved with Park Royal or the car wash but I’m not just going to railroad this thing through.” The athletic club contains a bubble tennis court. Haibeck said Larco has toid North Vancouver District officials that if the rezon- ; ing application is approved, Larco will provide the district with a bubble tennis court somewhere in the district. “So you’re trying to buy them (district) with a tennis court?’’ Friday, May 28, 1993 - North Shore News - 3 The right-of-way was leased to West Vancouver District for $40 a year, but the 10-year term has not been renewed. Day said the cur- rent lease is on a month-to-month basis. “At this point the railroad has taken an unusual step and said: *Let’s see what we have and what it is.’ The property is all zoned residential, and they (BC Rail) want to realize what it is that they are entitled to. And they want to hear what the community wants,’’ said McLean. ‘it’s conceivable that they might ask for more intense zoning on the flat land (soccer field and parking lot) in return for not de- veloping the walkway,’’ Day told the meeting. Land swaps were suggested by several speakers as an alternative to developing. the right-of-way, but Day said he doubted whether the district could afford to buy the land in question. “Why should we be talking about buying land that we already own,’’ asked one speaker, prompting many questions as to how and in what circumstances the Crown corporation acquired reatened NV facility a family affair Capilano Athletic Health Club home to over 1,000 family members the best ice around,’’ said McKenzie. McKenzie said he employs ap- proximately 20 people at the club. He said the new skating pro- gram started in the 1992-93 season and will run throughout the summer. McKenzie said the club has made money during its first 18 months of operation. He said five to 10 new members used to sign up every month. But he said when the question of rezoning the prop- erty on which the club sits surfac- @cd several months ago, the club’ began to lose members. No new memberships have been taken out recently, said McKenzie. McKenzie, his wife, Rhona, and their son, Christopher, operate the facility. Another son, Adrian, is expected to join the business when he completes university. McKenzie said his goal is to ob- tain’ 2,000 members, own the property and lease the club land to his sons to continue the private recreation facility. “People who are coming here say there is no space for them anywhere else,’’ said McKenzie. The club just opened a new fitness room and a floating-type floor was recently installed in an aerobics room. “We want it to be a family place. We just put ina babysitting room when we could have put in a bar,’ said McKenzie. on proposal said one person at the public meeting. . “There are more people living in the District of North Vancouver than just the 60 people living in this community,” said Haibeck. Added another person at the meeting: ‘‘See, that’s what he (Haibeck) thinks. There are only . 60 people and go shove it.’’ : Haibeck noted that Larco was not obligated to hold the public meeting but decided to because it wants to hear what area residents - want. He said that more public meetings will be held on the issue. the right-of-way. “BC Rail has. received billions of dollars from us for the com- mon good. They were not given this land to sell,’’ said one resi- dent to applause. The meeting then passed a mo- tion asking BC Rail to deed the land to the people of West Van- couver, Also approved was the creation of a community-approved plan to guide council in its negotiations. In addition, the ratepayers re- quested that council maintain the present zoning (mostly RS 4) and not grant any requests by BC Rail to rezone for apartments or. any other use. McLean told the News that the views of the community will shape BC Rail’s plans. The first public meeting on the right-of-way issue will be held on Monday, May 31, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. or again from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Fairview Room of the Gleneagles Golf Course Clubhouse, 6190 Marine Dr. Mediator named in N..Van school dispute LABOR RELATIONS Board (LR) mediator Grant McAr- thur was scheduled Thursday to meet with the two sides locked in the labor dispute that threatens to disrupt schools in Nort: Vancouver. Contract talks between the North Vancouver District 44 School Board (NVSB) and the North Vancouver Teachers’ © Association (NVTA) broke | off last week. Both the union “and the - school board applied to the LRB to appoint a mediator to help end the labor dispute. | ‘ ‘On Tuesday, the LRB ap- pointed McArthur. _ The mediator was sched- uled to have an initial meeting with the NVTA.on Thursday morning, followed by a meeting with the NVSB in the afternoon. He has also scheduled mediation ‘sessions for Mon- ’ day, May 31, and Tuesday, ° June 1. ' NVSB superintendent Dr.. Robin Brayne said McArthur has been involved in a: number of contract media- tions between the board and the NVTA in ‘the past and consequently has a good knowledge of the issues. in- volved in the current negotia- tions. ; NVTA first vice-president Keith Denley said the union does not plan to escalate its job action while mediation is in progress. The NVTA held two study sessions last. week to back contract demands, : As part of their current job action against. the board, District 44 teachers are refus- ing to process school paper work’ and attend meetings with school administrators. The union has been without a. collective agreement for . over a year.