UtOMAall S|

Waterfront project review to
be conducted by consultants

Keith Lowe

Contributing Writer

AN agreement with the Harbourside Automall
developers, allowing them to bypass an indepen-

dent review and process the building permit
applications themselves, has raised controversy.

But the chairman of the Advisory Design Panel (ADP), is
less concerned about the Harbourside project than he is about
the future of the city’s independent review process.

Addressing the Mondav night council meeting, Shane
Friars expressed concerns that the ADP*s role may be sup-
planted or marginalized and asked
the council to reaffirm the role of
the independent advisory body.
City planner Richard = White
explained it was a condition of
negotiation with the Pattison group
responsible for the project, not to
go through the ADP; 2 situation
that moved Coun. Bill Bell co make
reference to the previous council
having “sold out to Jimmy
Pattison.”

As it stands, the design firm of
Kasian Kennedy Architects has been
assigned to review and approve each
dealership design on behalf of the
city. The perceived conflict is reat-
ed in the fact that Kasian Kennedy
Architects developed the guidelines
in the first place. Friars said having
the same architectural firm design
the guidelines and approve the permits, represented an “inher-
ent conflict of interest.”

Friars commented that the ADP was comprised of a variety

of architects. construction individuals, business people and lay
~ members and oStered a much broader cutlook than a group of
design professionals would.

He raised the concern of future projects, such as Versatile
Shipyards, following in the footsteps of the automall review
process.

But a North Vancouver City development services report
determined that in the case of the Harbourside Automall, the
ADP's review “would yield only marginal benefits and could
be omitted.”

COUN. Bill Bell
says. the city has
“sold out” before.

Bob Spencer, the city’s development planner, listed a num-
ber of reasons development services considered the automal! a
“unique situation.” The first being chat the ADP itself had
reviewed the guidelines last year; a position Friars took issue
with.

“Those of us on the panel in 1999 were not aware at that
time that the intention was to bypass the ADP when the actu-
al component building designs within the automall were

brought forward,” he wrote in a June 21 letter to the mayor
that pre-dated the report.

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Coun, Barbara Perrault asked White if staff would consider
approaching the Pattison Auto Group to accept ADP evalua-
tion as a courtesy, but White indicated the suggestion had
already been rejected. “The applicant is not inclined to do
that,” he said.

However, White pl. cated Friars when he said, “it’s certain-
ly not our intention to make it a precedent,” which prompted
Bell to move that council put it in writing. The motion was
adopted, unanimously. Friars said this would satisfy the ADP.

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