March 14, 1593

52 pages

Fire power

Opponents claim proposals

PROPOSED NORTH Vancouver District regulations increase restrictions on the allowable size and height

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N. SHORE WATERFRONT INDUSTRIES

nh e : NEWS ‘photo Terry Peters

WEST VANCOUVER Fire Department firefighters held a training exercise on Tuesday. The spectacular propane firebail was visible from the Upper Levels Highway.

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new single-family homes in established neighburhoods are unfair to homeowners and will cat property values, ac- cording {0 opponents of the zoning change.

A public hearing on the conten- tious issue is set for 7 p.m., Tues- day, March 16, at North Van- couver District municipal hall, 355 West Queens Ave. Final councit consideration of bylaw amend- ments will follow the hearing.

The bylaw amendments do not apply to new subdivisions under development in the municipality.

AS proposed, regulations for newly-built single-family homes in older neighborhoods will:

e reduce allowable building site coverage from 40% to 35%; @ ceduce the allowable maximum

By Michael Secker News Reporter

height hy four feet (1.2 m); @ reduce allawable floor ratios.

The move follows complaints by a number of residents over “monster? home construction in estaic'shed neighborhoods.

But North Shore real estate agent Barry Jackson predicts the change, if implemented, will reduce the value of many older North Vancouver homes.

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Said Jackson, ‘People’s prop- erty rights are being taken away. For the municipality to introduce a bylaw that’s going to make ap- proximately 50% of existing resi- dences non-conforming (to the bylaw) is just a horrendous situa- tion.”

He said that all real estate sales contracts may have to include a disclosure that the house is a non-conforming residence.

“This is like cutting your arm off because your finger is sore,”’ he added.

Jackson said that if an existing home is damaged by more than 75% due to fire, flood or other act of nature, its owners will not be able to rebuild it to its original dimensions,

Local real Ed

tstate agent

Hume predicts the bylaw amend- ments will deprive owners of ex- isting homes the ability to make additions to houses.

“They're not going to be abie to expand. New subdivision areas are not being affected.

“Tt needs to be pointed out that the fargest Jand owner is North Vancouver District. It’s going to drive up the cost of new construc- tion tots because those will be ina higher demand than those in the established areas. They are able to bulld) what) they want,’? Hume said.

Peter de Liefde is a North Van- couver District resident who wants to rebuild on a fot where he lives on Montroyal Boulevard.

“The (40-year-old, square-fvot,

2,000-

86 sq. m) house is

to restrict home sizes will cut property values

teetering on the edge of its eco- nomic life. We're thinking of knocking it down. ! was thinking of increasing it to the maximum, about 3,500 square feet (325 sq. m) with a garage,’’ he said.

But with revised zoning de Liefde would have to reduce the house height by about three feet (0.9 m) and sink it into the ground.

“You can't just broad-brush everybody, Jt seems to be that council are not listening to the staff.”

Meanwhile, at Monday's coun- cil meeting, council will consider a report on the means of control and the consequences of a moratorium on demolitions — as well as the possibility of special height zoning for individual neighborhoods.