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North Vancouver councils raise grain terminal concerns

North Vancouver’s two municipal councils have forwarded a list of conditions they’d like to see met before Port Metro Vancouver approves G3 Global Holdings’ request to build a 180,000-tonne grain terminal and rail loop at the foot of Brooksbank Avenu
terminal
The G3 proposal for the North Vancouver waterfront. Critics say the project could grow by 58 per cent. image supplied

North Vancouver’s two municipal councils have forwarded a list of conditions they’d like to see met before Port Metro Vancouver approves G3 Global Holdings’ request to build a 180,000-tonne grain terminal and rail loop at the foot of Brooksbank Avenue.

On Jan. 25, city council approved and sent its list of items “that G3 be strongly encouraged to consider.”

Because of its federal jurisdiction, municipalities don’t get an official say on projects on port land, although they are consulted.

Among the items on the city’s wish list: using 4.5-metre flood construction level in keeping with the city’s standards, ensuring operational noise and dust mitigation plans make every effort to minimize the impacts on nearby neighbours, a transportation study and impact plan for the consolidation of Western Stevedoring’s two waterfront terminals, a rail network plan that addresses both capacity and safety of rail crossings, a list of the terminal’s utility needs and how they may affect the city, a storm water management plan, identify any potential impacts on Lynn Creek estuary and measures to offset those impacts as well as consideration of potential amenities the proponents could contribute to city residents.

City council members also want to see concrete for the 48 14-storey silos produced on site rather than trucked in, according to Larry Orr, the city’s manager of lands and business services. Orr said the city has also made it clear they expect G3 to have open communication with the surrounding communities and provide direct contact information for residents to call if there’s a problem.

“G3 is sensitive to that. The reality of a project of this magnitude and the fact there’s a considerable amount of concrete used for this project as well as pile driving that will be required for the new dock facility is that there will be noise impacts for the neighbourhood,” Orr said.

“They will be trying to mitigate those impacts as best they can but there will be times when they’ll be pouring concrete and they will have to pour longer hours than a regular work day.”

Speaking at a North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce event last week, city Mayor Darrell Mussatto stressed it would be an important project.

“That’s a lot of clean jobs coming to North Vancouver. It’s going to have some impact on the residents and businesses but I’m pretty sure the benefits are going to far outweigh the negatives,” he said.

A list drawn up by District of North Vancouver staff and presented to council Monday night was even longer and more onerous, triggering debate about whether the district ought to be weighing in on the project at all, given that it falls on the city side of the border.

Some members of district council took exception to the strong language in the district’s recommendations, implying the municipality was in a position to dictate the port’s business or ask for benefits.

For Coun. Doug MacKay-Dunn, the debate typified the lack of co-ordinated strategic planning with the city that benefits citizens on neither side of the border.

“This is a huge project and it has an impact on our community as well as the city so it is our duty to raise issues, and whether we request, require or plead with the port to consider us, at least put it on the table and we’ll work out the details,” he said.