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FROM PAGE A1

Burrard View Association,
the North Vancouver Voters
Association (NoVVA),
teachers and parents state
their views in favor of the
proposed Cove Cliff school
at the orderly public hear-
ing.

This group was opposed
by a noticeably smaller
group consisting of residents
living in the vicinity of the
proposed school and others,
who favored renovating the
old school.

The public hearing was
the climax of a process that
began in February 1978
when District council re-
jected the rezoning applica-
tion made for the same pur-
pose.

SAME PLAN

A District planner spoke
first at the public hearing
and he outlined the proposed
development, which is
almost exactly the same as
that presented two years
ago.

The North Vancouver
School Board plans to build
a new elementary school on
land immediately south of
Raeburn Street.

The board owns 3.8 acres
on that site but needs to have
District land rezoned in
order to have the required
5.1 acres.

The proposed school
would take 315 to 390
students and if the rezoning
is approved construction is
hoped to be completed by
September 1981.

The current’ estimated
cost of the school is
$1,458,000 plus $172,000 for
the acquisition of the land.

Municipal staff have few
objections to the new
school, which is also sup-
ported by the school board
and the provincial Ministry
of Education.

A member of the school
board outlined the disadvan-
tages inherent in the alter-
native available, which is to
upgrade Burrard View
school.

It has been estimated that
it will cost just over $1
million to upgrade the
school and another $600,000
to purchase the site from the
Distnct, something that the
school board says must be
done if the upgrading is to go
ahead.

An architect hired to
judge what renovations
needed to be done noted:

DOLLAR A YEAR

“The fenovation of the
school bysed on the above
expenditures appears ques-
tionable due to the age and
condition‘of the building and
the high cost of site im-
provements.”

Pat Bel}, an administrator
for the school board told the
meeting Uhat in terms of tax-
adion the new school would
cost Deep Cove residents an
estimated $1 a ycar for 20
years.

Bell attacked the
criticisms levelled against
the proposed school, which
centre on the safety of a
creek which runs through
the property and the strect
system in the arca.

han

He said the “small
stream,” was no more
polluted or dangerous than
any others in the District.

On the subject of traffic,
Bell said the new school
would have less of a traffic
problem than Burrard View,
which is located on Deep
Cove Road,

A spokesman for the Bur-
rard View Association,
which has the support of 465
Deep Cove residents then
stated why that group sup-
ports the new school.

She noted that proposed
school would be in the cen-
tre of the area to be served.

Then she went on to
outline other advantages of
the new site and the disad-
vantages of the Burrard
View site.

“The most serious charge
against the present
building,” the group says, “is
that it is a firetrap.”

DANGEROUS

At least 20 people, in-
cluding several teachers cur-
rently working at Burrard
View school, then voiced
their support for the Cove
Cliff proposal, in the one
hour than Mayor Bell allot-
ted for people to speak in
favour of the rezoning.

Those opposed to building
the new school were then
given one hour to express
their views.

Their main concern was
the safety of the new site and
the cost to residents in the
immediate vicinity of the
proposed school.

David Pierce, a resident,
said that “all the streets
(leading to the proposed
school) are narrow, have no
sidewalks and are poorly lit.”

Other people also said the
streets in the area are steep,
winding and dangerous.

Concern was expressed
that the creek running
through the site was also
dangerous, especially during
times of heavy rainfall.

Those opposed to the new
site questioned the cost
figures and said the residents
in the immediate vicinity
would have to pay for in-
stalling sidewalks.

They said there was no
reason that Burrard View

school could not be
renovated to meet accep-
table standards.

When both = sides __sihas

spoken for about an hour a
move to adjourn the meeting
was made and with council
split on the vote, Mayor Bell
voted to continue the hear-
ing.

More speakers, including
the current) principal for
Burrard View school said
that the new school would

EEMENN

A “
in 1

provide a far superior learn-

ing enviroment of the.

children.
Many said they had sent
their children to other

schools rather than let them
attend Burrard View which
they consider inferior and
dangerous because of the
traffic hazard.

School Board Trustee
David Craig urged council
members not be swayed by
emotional arguments and to
consider the alternatives to
building a new school.

He concluded by telling
council that whatever their
decision, it must be final.

This was a sentiment most
people remaining at the end
of the three and a half hour
meeting appeared to agree
with.

While the question re-
mains, many feel it will, as
Roy Sharpe, a resident said,
“set neighbour against
neighbour. A situation that
has never existed before in
this neighbourhood.”

CONTRAVERSY IN DEEP COVE is centred on whether to renovate the existing
Burrard View Community School (top picture) or to build a’ new Cove Cliff
Elementary School on the site pictured above. (Elsworth Dickson photo)

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