Residential proposal for industrial land stalled; waterfront task force struck A CONTROVERSIAL rezoning pro- posal to build 210 apartments on indus- trial waterfront just west of Cates Park was deferred Monday night by North Vancouver District Council. NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL by Martin Millerchip Rather than forward the necessary bylaw amendments to a public hearing, council 7.voted unanimously in favor of Coun. Ernie Crist’s motion to defer the rezoning process pending the creation and report of a water- front task force. . The 6.5 acre (2.6 hectare) industrially zoned (11) lands at 3795-3919 Doltarton Highway are owned by Noble Towing Ltd. and McKenzie Barge and Marine Ways Ltd. The property is used for shipbuilding and repair. The developer, United Properties Lid., owns an option to purchase the land subject to approval of residential rezoning. Part of the site was the subject of a rezon- ing battle in 1987 and 1988. A proposal from Ramrod Development Corp. for 154 multi- family units was eventually sejected. The Seymour Official Community Plan (OCP) was subsequently amended from Port Industrial to show a land-use designation of Park, Recreation and Wilderness Areas (PRW). At the time, district council, under then- mayor Marilyn Baker, acknowledged that the pre-existing industrial zoning could remain in place indefinitely. The OCP amendment intended to show that should. the land-use ever change it was not to be for residential purposes but for park land. On Monday, many of the residents who opposed the Ramrod proposal were back before council to condemn the prospect of three- and four-storey apartment buildings on the waterfront below Dollarton Highway. Save Our Shores spokesman Dave Sadler asked council what had changed from six years ago. Dollarton shorefront development a ‘win- win,’ proponent says Said Sadler, “A previous council had the foresight to look to the future, said no, and designated this land as future PRW in the Seymour OCP. I say respect a previous administration’s wisdom. Respect the wishes of the taxpayer. “Stick to the OCP and give your citizens something they can count on. Send a clear message to developers not to mess with our future parkland.” But planning staff support the proposed change in land-use designation from PRW to residential. Senior development planner Doug Allan says the site is not “particularly suited for active park pursuits” and “with Cates Park to the east totalling approximately 50 acres (20 hectares) the area is well served with open space.” Allan’s report to council also states: “Given the potential cost of acquisition, restoration and irnprovement of the subject lands, limited public funds could be better utilized in neighborhoods with park deficien- cies.” United's proposal includes an agreement with Vancouver Port Corp. for the construc- tion of a private marina and public amenities on foreshore land to include: @ a waterfront park; fH a smal! beach; £4 the rehabilitation of two existing piers for seating, viewing and fishing; &@ a pedestrian connection to Dollarton Highway; and Bia continuous waterfront walk. But Crist’s deferral motion will establish a community task force “to make recommenda- tions pertaining to long-term planning objec- tives” for al] Dollarton and Deep Cove fore- shore lands. The critcria to be addressed cover: &@ environmental concerns; & recreation and parks; Bi industrial use; commercial use; BB residential use; and 9 public access. Crist has twice unsuccessfully attempted to establish such a task force when the issue of a seawalk connecting Cates Park to Deep Cove has been debated by council. THE PROPONENT of a 210- unit residential complex for the industrial waterfront at Dollarton Highway near Cates Park contends the project is a win-win situation for North . Vancouver District (NVD) res- idents and United Properties Ltd. . By Anna Marie p’Angelo News Reporter United Preperties Ltd. vice- president of development Roger Moors responded to ailegations' ‘.made last week by the Save Our Shores Again (SOS Again) residen- tial Jobby group and a Marine and Shipbuilders focal 506 spokesman. . The development proposal was deferred during Monday’s council - °. meeting. Moors expecied.council to ‘set a date for.a-public hearing on rezoning the aréa. | Moors said he was very disap- pointed about Monday’s meeting, . but is still confident that United Properties’ proposal is a good pro- ject for the site. “We didn’t expect the council to take such a weak position... We intend to continue the fight,” said Moors Tuesday. Moors said Monday that if his development is approved, NVD residents will get a waterfront park and the chance to buy waterfront housing. United Properties would have the opportunity to place the « development. Moors said the estimated $50- million project, called Cates » Landing, is opposed by the SOS Again lobby group because the group is against development “peri- od” of the run-down industrial area. “If it were virgin untouched ‘wilderness, | would tend to agree with them, but the fact is, what is down there now is an cyesore,” said Moors. The proposed complex is slated for 3795 to 3919 Dollarton Hwy., and consists of the McKenzie Barge and Marine Ways, and Noble CALL US: 983-2208 Towing businesses. Moors disagrees with SOS Again spokesman Clive Walton and Marine and Shipbuilders local 506 spokesman Bob Docherty’s contention that the shipyard busi- ness in the area was allowed to deteriorate so as to be more attrac- tive to potential developers. Moors said SOS Again is a splinter group. of the original Save Gur Shores (SOS) resident group that successfully blocked a residen- tial development on the waterfront in 1988, At that time, Ramrod Investments wanted to build a $35- . million residential deveiopment consisting of a 10- “storey and a six- storey tower madeup of 154 units at Matsumoto Shipyards (now Noble Towing). That: development proposal was scaled down before NVD council rejected the application. Moors noted one of the’ build- ings currently onthe site is seven- storeys high. The zoning in place allows talfer buildings. But the United Properties development would involve cight buildings, three to four storeys high on the 6.27 acres (2.5 hectares). Moors said United Properties held three meetings, one mandatory under rezoning rules and two vol- untary, with immediate area resi- dents fast fall. “In general terms, it (the devel- opment) should be an enhancement to their (area residents’) property values, not a detraction,” said Moors. He said the majority of the land is unsuitable for a public park due to the slope of the land. Moors said United Properties would spend up to $2 million on environmental cleanup of the industrial site. The property has been polluted over the years. He said United Properties’ plan calls for the flat. consisting of more than 2.5 acres (one hectare) to go to the district as a public park. See Residential page 10 foreshore area - NEWS photo Mike Wakure’ AN AUTOPSY Monday revealed that a 21-year-old Romanian man died of smoke inhalation in this house after an arson fire on Saturday ln West Vancouver. Explosion heard before fireball ripped through home THE BODY of a 21-year-old Romanian man was identified on Monday after his charred remains were discovered on Saturday in a torched house at 1717 Mathers Ave. in West Vancouver. By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter The West Vancouver Police (WYP) declined to release the man’s name until next of kin have been notified, according to WVP Const. Janis MacLean. Autopsy results indicated that the man died of smoke inhalation. The police confirmed that the fatal fire was an arson. The house owner, whose. name was not released, was in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the time of the blaze. When first contacted by the police, the owner said no one was living at the residence, but after learning the identity of the victim, he said that he knew the deceased. According to WVP, the owner said the dead man was not related to him. Witnesses to the fire reported hearing an explo- sion, followed by hearing a fireball sipping through the residence, according to WVP. One witness reported hearing groaning coming from within the burning house. And fire crews said there was a strong odor of gas nvar the house during the 9:30 p.m. blaze. The older one-storey house was being renovated with the addition of a second storey to the roof, according to a West Vancouver Fire Department spokesman. The autopsy was conducted on Monday. The dead man was identified through denta! records. WVP declined to release further details on Tuesday. THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Who do you think will win Lord Stanley of Preston’s coveted prize? eee: