WV council says ne

nee

to multi-family plang

NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

TYLER Ridley, a five-year-old Beaver, was busy loading up the manure during a
soil and manure sale last Sunday in Edgemont Village. The saie is the year’s main
fundraiser for the 15th Capilano Highlanders Scout Group of North Vancouver.

Catherine Barr
Contributing Writer

CHAIRLIFT Road
area residents are happy
for now, but it remains
to be seen whether they
have won their devel-
opment battle at the
expense of losing the
war.

A group oof West
Vancouver residents con-
vinced council to defeat a pro-
posal calling for a multi-family
development to be built ar
2170 Chairlift Rd.

But according to a recent
staff report, the developer
may instead be allowed to
legally build a larger, more
obtrusive commercial com-
plex.

The site, which was slated
for rezoning, has been the
subject of a series of public
meetings held recently by
council.

Architect Karl Gustavson
represents the owners W.
Hanley and Company Led.
and Washi Beam Holding
Corporation.

Their request to have the
land rezoned from its current
Cl, commercial zone, and
RS7, single-family zone, to a
new RML 16, multiple
dwelling zone was defeared
on Monday. This means that
plans to ‘build three, two-
storey, multi-family buildings
cannot proceed.

The decision appears to be
joyous news for neighbor-

west vancouver
District Council

hood residents. A small group
has diligently shown up in
council chambers to oppose
the development from. the

“start. They claim to preter
retention of the original com-
mercial and single family zon-
ing.

The residents were suc-
cessful in proving to council
that the application should be
rejected based on concerns
that the new development
would significandy devalue
their single-family homes.

They also claim that extra
cars in the area would exacer-
bate an already frustrating
traffic problem involving the
new, private Collingwood
School.

“Area residents don't
agree with the studies on traf
fie,” argued Sotheby Ketch-
em. “And there is no compar-
ison between a 6,500 square
foot house and a 750 square
foot apartment.”

Ketchem said the develop-
er had recently placed wooden
stakes at the site. The stakes
with red ribbons interfered
with the views from many
homes and Ketchem brought
along photographs taken from
his house to prove it.

But a spokesman for the
developer said the stakes were
put up only “ro illustrate
where a commercial building
(could be built).”

The entire chain of events

has left Don Russell shaking Bm

his head. Russell, salicitar for
the developer, told council he
is “a litde jaundiced” by the
whole process.

“Whar (area residents)
want on this site is nothing,”
he said. Russell suggests that
the same group of residents
now calling for the retention
of the commercial zoning, are
on record as opponents to the
last commercial proposal.

Kerchem does nor agree.
He says he is prepared to deal
with the consequences of liv-
ing next to a commercially
zoned site and appears willing
to bet on it. “f don’t think
that a 7-11 or video store
could survive (at this: site),”
said Ketchem. He thinks that
offices or a doctor’s practice
would be a better choice.

“We're of the understand-
ing that any commercial
development would still have
to be approved by the council
and the area residents,” he
said.

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