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MEMBERS OF the

Association -(LRA) are

GROCERIES: 19

One North Shore store hasn“t had to join the price

wars,

ts, counci V inter-ri

Residents ‘completely

Lynnmour still, not

satisfied with: the direction. being. taken by North ‘Vancouver District on the Central Inter-River Of-

ficial Community Plan.

By JOANNE MacDONALD

S Ata public information. , ‘meeting held Thursday! at~ Capilano College, LRA ‘rep- resentative Pat Neufeld told.

members of council and the District planning staff the LRA was against using all of site three, a vacant, one hee- ‘tare site located north of the Coach House Motor Inn, as a park. 1

today.

She said the LRA’ had repeatedly asked that the site be used as a playground, with the remaining Jand be- ing left as a buffer space for the benefit of area residents.

Among the options. pro- posed by the District in a staff report is that the ex- isting proposed designation of the site be retained. in order for the District to cap-

italize on the underserved .

SKATING: 25

The biggest ever North Shore Invitational ends

3 - Sunday, March 3, 1985 - North Shore News

CPERA: 39

A North Shere singer takes centre stage for the

Vancouver Opera Association.

local retail market and the

proximity of the site to the

Trans-Canada Highway, ‘'as well as providing revenue. to the Municipality through land disposal as well as through property taxes.’

The value of the site for commercial purposes’ has been estimated at around $10 per square foot, or a tetal of approximately $1

million.

Other options include us- ing the land for institutional purposes — ' churches, private schools, church halls — owith traffic. only generaicd | ‘during. of}-peak

hours, or allowing the Jand:

to be leased on an interim basis -for commercial pur- poses such as a nursery or

garden shop operation.

“: As for. the proposal by the

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LRA that the site be used for recreational * purposes.” the report stated that since land . in the _ Inter-River ‘Park, located close Lo. the, townhouses west. of Lillooer: Road : has, been © designated for a neighborhood park’ with the. facilities’ to. be ‘developed. in 1986, that ‘Additional. park fand ‘on Site three cannot be justified by the Planning Departmentt.’*

NEWS photos Terry Peters .

WHILE: MAYOR Marilyn Baker and members: of North Vancouver District council listen (photo at right), Pat Neufeld makes hez, point about the need for green space in the Central River, area of North Vancouver. 7 abe

- Beautified Edgen Vitia not luring extra customers |

TEN MONTHS after the grand opening of its

revitalization project,

Edgemont

Village mer-

chants are divided as to whether the renovations have actually stimulated business in the area.

By JOANNE MacDONALD

The project was com- financial assistance from the provin- cial government, with the District of North Vancouver

‘and local merchants sharing

costs of local improvements

cand beautification schemes.

Gladys Robson, co-owner

_of The Big Crab butcher

shop claims the project has not helped business.

“T think during the in- terim, when the project was in the building stages, there was a lack.of parking and it was difficult to get into the stores. And when you iose customers like that, they’re

gone,’’ says Robson, who has operated her Village outlet since 1969. '‘Competi- tion from bigger stores has hurt and a lot of stores in the Village are struggling. | wouldn’t want to see this store sink, I’ve put too many years of my life into this area.”

Partner Joan Crowhurst echoes Robson's statements.

“Um optimistic about this store, but I’m not saying the same thing about the Village. Traffic patterns have changed and we have to

get the customers back,” ‘she says.

Although Margarct Cor- den of the Bulk Foods Cen-

tre is quick to point out her

store was not in business prior to the revitalization, she says conversations with neighboring merchants have revealed that many have ex-

_perienced a decline in.

business over the pust year. “*People don’t think of the village as a unit yet we. have everything here they need, The monopolies are taking away from. the smaller: mer-

ont

chants. What people don't, realize is that smaller ‘stores can cater to their personal needs,"* says Corden, “What we have to do is. rely on the convenience aspect and try fo allract people in the im- mediate area."

Ron Statham, president of the local merchants’ associa- tion dismisses the idea that competition. has, hurt some Village businesses.

“| don’t really ‘think

‘ competition hurts anybody.

You can-use that as an ex- cuse if you're really not try-

ing to promote, your: business. | personally think! there may be a slowdown in’. . business. because of high in- terest rates.’’, says Statham, | adding the association | is currently studying ways to, further promote the Village. through advertising.

Meanwhile, Audrey: War-' wick of Gould and McCue Jewellers says the revitaliza- ‘tion has helped. “I'd hate to think how bad off we'd be if we hadn't had it done.”