Rec centre site

From page 1

Currently, there is no existing blueprint or business plan, until a site is approved.

The Tuesday night meeting was orga- nized by Karyo Communications, 3 pub- lic-relanions firm hired jointly by the board and WVACT, ata cost of $5,000 each, to handle the public consultation process. Karyo was also responsible for a June 21 “issues workshop” in which some 65 interested parties took part.

The firm will be responsible for collat- ing the information gathered last Tuesday and plans to provide the results to the par- ticipants in October 2000. Their contract will then be re-negotiated at that time.

While designed to explore area resi- dents’ concerns about the proposed place- ment of the centre, the sday meeting became, largely, a forum for the group's dissatisfaction with, and pre-emptive rejection of, the proposed site.

The list of their stated concerns cov- ered areas such as: increased traffic; van- dalism; declining property values; litter: parking problems; and loss of existing site facilities, Most, if not all of the concerns, had also been listed at the June 21 meet- ing. .

Former municipal councillor Rod Day made a speech in a brief appearance at the Tuesday meeting, expressing resentment at the fact that there were no school board representatives present at the hearing.

“They're giving us PR people, to fob us all off,” he warned

However, mode

or Patti Schom-

Moffat, a co-principal of Communications, explained she had per- sonally requested that school board repre- sentatives not attend, because she didn’t want board members being forced to come up with answers that “we don’t have.”

Day offered some mixed support for the project. saying “it could be a nice attraction, (but) it could lose a lot of

“and exhorted the group to “organize, organize, organize.”

He acknowledged the residents” “seri- ous concerns” and suggested the recre ation centre area near Wetmore Motors as an alternative site.

“You could close 22nd, divert it around the park and use that whole area for an arts centre,” Day suggested to loud applause. “The problem is, it (would cost) several more million dofiars.”

Long-time arva residents Pat Crawtord and George and Lee Grills also voiced their dissatisfaction with the proposed site.

“The school board’s trying to pull a Hillside on us — giving away school prop- erty,” said Crawford.

“tam adamantly oppo: that will create traffic in the evening,” said

dent George Grills. “And I sus- rybody who lives around here way.” Grills’. commenis athusiastic applause

mbled

to anything

Le _ Lee. Other concerns included the inability

Br

posed

of the school board to interact effectiv with the Arts Centre Trust and the qu tion of whe would be picking up t operating costs.

“There’s no ability on the part of the school board to put aay moncy into the operation of this thing,” countered Bird, explaining the operations of the centre would remain exclusively under the purview of WVAC re not putting any money into the capital costs either.”

Hird advocates strongly for a world- class arts centre in West Vancouver, which, he believes, could actually increase the value of the neighbourhuod. But he insists it is not a “fait accompli” as has been suggested, citing a number of stages and hurdles to be cleared before any deci- sions can be made.

“At the end of the day, if the commu- nity says, ‘We don’t want an arts centre,” that’s fine,” said Bird. “I'm not going to skove it down their throats. We have to do what's right for the community,” he said.

But, according to D be decided.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of negotiation, but they’re going to have to take into account the fact that West Van

ns don’t really like big projects in their neighbourhoods,” he said. “You can’t blame them. They have a i way of life that they don’t want to rupted ... it’s always the same, it never fails.

“The school board should be listening a little more,” he added.

y, it may already

Parking dispute leads to arrest

POLICE were called on July 6 over disputes

The Starbucks cu:

stomer told police he never got a straight

about parking near the Starbucks in Lynn Valley.

One Starbucks patron claimed he was hit on the foot with a shovel during a dispute over parking in a space for Tommy's Catering Services and restaurant customers on Ross Road off Mountain Highway. Starbucks customers are not supposed to park in the lot. A large sign stated “positively no” Starbucks customers are to park in the several spots next to the restaurant.

The Starbucks outlet is at 2990 Mountain Hwy., across the street from the restaurant.

. According to the North Vancouver RCMP, the shovel wielder was cleaning up in the area with the shovel when a confrontation occurred with a coffee-house patron. : Police also say the shovel wielder had a confrontation with another Starbucks patron who parked in a restaurant spot later that ~ day. This confrontation involved the brandishing of a knife. "<A second Starbucks patron told police that a man in a white van stopped his vehicle and began “peering” at the other man’s parked vehicle. The Starbucks customer, age 29, asked the man in the van, “Is there a problem?” Police say a discussion ensued about no parking by Starbucks customers as stated by sign. .' The Starbucks customer said he had an arrangement with

Tommy’s to park there. He asked the man in the van if his parked .

hicle was going to be towed.

Grouse Grinder collapses

NORTH Shore Search

- and Rescue was again

- called out to the Grouse Grind last Saturday afternoon.

A 27-year-old Burnaby

woman. collapsed — from exhaustion at about the quar-

ter-way mark of the climb. She was administered IV ther-

apy and taken out by stretch- er. BC Ambulance Service, North Van District Fire and Grouse Mountain also partici- pated in the effort.

North Shore Rescue search manager Tim Jones said too many under-condi- tioned people are attempting the Grind without fully preparing for the climb first.

~ Police say no ‘hidden agenda

. _ From page §

not,” said Jean. “There’s' no hidden agenda here. This is a .. very clear, open. community -. partnership and we’re working . together to help people clean

their neighbourhoods up.”

- Jean said che department

: has already been inundated

with calls from other commu-

nities in B.C. seeking informa- _ tion on how to adopt the

Rental Watch program in their : area. ;

— Jan; Christian Sorensen , oot 4

ha

answer and went to leave. The coffee customer said the man in the van swore and pulled out a large butcher knife. The man got out of the van with the knife.

The coffee customer backed away and asked if he was going to be attacked, according to police. The man with the knife returned to his van.

Police later arrested the man and knife.

Jean Wladislaw Farkas, 62, of North Vancouver, was charged with ovo counts of assault with a weapon and one charge of pos- sessing a weapon.

—Anna Marie D’Angelo

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