- Wednesday, January 24, 1990 - North Shore News

NEWS pholo Heather Johnston

DON JAMIESON takes a trip on the wild side down the Capilano River. The river is a favorite with kayakers and nature lovers alike.

ALDERMEN AGREE TO RENOVAT:ON VARIANCES

New WV bulk housing bylaw not airtight

JUST A few months after passing its landmark bulk hous- ing legislation to limit the size of homes in the municipality, West Vancouver District Council has now decided a relaxa- tion of the rules is justified in some cases.

Variances were granted at the last two Monday council meetings, allowing residents of a Fulton Avenue home and a Kings Avenue home to carry out renovations that put them past the new .35 floor area ratio (FAR) limit, despite crit- icism of local resident Jack Howard and a nay vote from Ald. Carol Ann Reynolds.

“The bulk housing legislation was passed because developers learned how to build bulkier houses and pushed everything to the limit,’’ said Ald. Rod Day.

Renovation projects didn’t really

By MAUREEN CURTIS Contributing Writer

figure in the issue, he maintained.

‘““And we didn’t want to do people who wanted to renovate an injustice,’’ he added.

In the case of both homes con- sidered, the higher basements (built before FAR’s were consid- ered) are counted in with the FAR, such that the planned renovations would push the houses past the .35 limit and closer to the old .45 limit.

**They only have two bedrooms

Tenants reject offer

From page 1 council could legally take to have landlords justify rent increases was defeated.

In opposing Crist’s motion, Clark said that 1970s rent controls are responsible for some of the current rent problems. Rents decreased, he said, and developers stopped building rental units.

Clark said that, instead of in- stituting rent controls, the devel- opment of rental housing should be encouraged.

Baker suggested the compromise of asking the province for a rent review.

Meanwhile in North Vancouver City, tenants in the Centennial Manor apartments at 312 East First St. have rejected the recent rent subsidy rebate program of- fered them by the apartment's owners.

The rebate was proposed in the wake of resident outrage over pro- posed rent hikes ranging up to 55 per cent at the Lower Lonsdale- area apartment.

Under the rebate proposal, the apartmeni“s. owners, Jacobson

Macdonald and Co., offered te- nants a subsidy of $1 per month for every month they have lived in Centennial Manor, up to a max- imum of 60 months.

The subsidy would run for nine months starting April 1, 1990, when the apartment’s rents are scheduled to be increased.

In addition, the apartment’s ownership stated in a letter to resi- dents that it would be ‘prepared to discuss a matching rental sub- sidy from local government(s).”*

For example, if North Van- couver City Council were to ap- prove a $10,000 property (tax reduction for 1990, the apart- ment’s ownership stated that it would be prepared to share the reduction amongst its tenants, thereby reducing rents by a further $26 per month this year.

But Centennial Manor tenant Annette Royce said the offer had been rejected by the apartment’s residents.

““Nobody wants to sign it,’’ she said. ‘It's nota good offer.”"

Royce, who has lived at Centen- nial for three years and earns $750

for their growing family,’’ said Day of the Fulton Avenue residents, who are hoping to add a second storey and re-do their main floor. :

Acting mayor Mark Sager pointed out that were the appli- cants to pull down their houses and rebuild from scratch, the end results would probably end up bigger and bulkier than the renovations proposed.

West Vancouver resident Jack Howard was concerned that the proposed policy for renovation projects could lead to abuse in the future.

‘*People could build to the limit and then come back two years later with plans for renovation,’’ he said Jan. 15.

His concerns were shared by Ald. Reynolds, who voted against

Dr. Ruth.............. Food..............-...368

Lifestyles..............37 North Shore Now.......17

Second Class Registration Number 3885

monthly, would have her rent in-

crease reduced by $35 per month

under the offer.

Bur she would still have to ab- sorb a $165 per-month increase that would raise her monthly rent from $405 to $570.

A spokesman for Dexran Pro- perties Management Ltd., which manages Centennial Manor, said Tuesday the owners had no plans at this time to present another rent subsidy offer to the tenants.

both applications.

“I counted the passing of the bulk housing legislation as one of my proudest moments last year,”’ she said.

But Ald. Alex Brokenshire argued that the cases under con- sideration showed the operational problems with trying to impose exact figures (like the .35 FAR limit).

“Council has to be extremely vigilant that it doesn’t prostitute the intention of the bylaw’ and I don’t believe that this does,’’ he added.

Still, Howard wondered why council did not table the two ap- plications until an amendment to the bulk housing bylaw for renovation cases can be developed by municipal staff for their con- sideration.

“If they’re not going to keep to the rules, they should wait until they change them,”’ he said.

The amendment being developed for renovation applications would probably not apply to houses built to the .35 new standards set in 1989 or after.

Also considered significant by council was the fact that the Fulton Ave. and Kings Ave. ap- plications had won neighborhood approval and were received by the municipality close to the date the new legislation took effect.

Ald. Pat Boname also argued in favor of bulk housing bylaw changes that she felt could forestall the demolition of older homes.

“The bylaw is something we have to keep working on, like the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,”’ said Boname.

City Council rethinks family suite policy

NORTH VANCOUVER City Council may consider soft- ening its past policy on family suites to exempt certain

groups from the restrictions.

Originally formulated to stop speculators from marketing house additions as separate suites, the policy prohibits family suites to be installed in new additions for two years.

But council voted to seek a solic- itor’s opinion after being ap- proached by a city resident wan- ting to house her parents,

Mrs. Stewart told council she wanis to be able to help look after her parents, but still allow them their independence. She was seek- ing approval to complete a 900 square foot addition to her home.

Stewart said Canada’s aging population would probably force

By CORINNE BJORGE Contributing Writer

council lo start making allowances for families.

‘“More) families are trying to house their parents,’’ she said.

Ald. Bill Bell said council should promote family suites in the com- munity. ‘‘Family suites are an in- novative way of dealing with some of the problems we're facing in society today."*

Ald. Stella Jo Dean added it was “less expensive to have family look after family rather than (put their parents in nursing homes).”