WEST Vancouver council voted Monday to move ahead with a rezoning to upgrade the Shell station at 13th Street and Marine Drive over vocal opposition from many residents in the public hearing.
Council passed the second and third reading Monday of the rezoning to allow Shell to rebuild the aging gas station with a 1,959square-foot convenience store and six pumps instead of the existing two, with only Coun. Bill Soprovich opposed to the measure.
The new gas station convenience store and shelter will have a green (landscaped) roof, with added landscaping to the sidewalk and on the north side of the property. In all, nearly 44 per cent of the site will be landscaped, compared to the current site, which has only two per cent green space.
Laura Jones, representing Shell, said it's the first gas station with a green roof in Canada, and also touted a site-specific design that includes cedar construction materials, while toning down the neon. The company will include two diesel pumps and full-service from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Still, speakers were 7-4 opposed to the measure, with two speakers not taking a clear side. Neighbours complained that the convenience store is unneeded, the development will increase traffic problems and several argued the gas station is a poor use for such a prominent site at the gateway to Ambleside.
"I don't think 'Shell welcomes you to the entrance of Ambleside' meets with the objectives of the (Ambleside Revitalization) plan," said John Robertson, a resident of the 1200-block of Marine Drive, just across 13th Street from the proposed redevelopment.
Robertson and his neighbor, Ron Ash, were at council in 2007 when Shell first proposed to redevelop the gas station with a convenience store, turned down by council, and expressed surprise at being back again.
"Our neighbourhood is over-serviced with convenience stores," said Ash, pointing to the 7-Eleven at the other end of the same block and more than a dozen others throughout Ambleside.
The redevelopment bid did receive the support of the Chamber of Commerce, however, and resident support from people such as Ehsan Fatemi.
"It's the same thing as it is, it just looks better," he said, while others, such as Dolly Cartwright, suggested users of the sports field might enjoy the convenience store close by.
While several councillors expressed concerns with the proposal, all but Soprovich supported the motion.
Coun. Michael Lewis had harsh words for the development, saying, "I think they've missed the boat. I'm very disappointed with what I see." But he still voted in favour, adding there's only so much you can do with a gas station.
Coun. Mike Smith, who has been acclaimed as West Vancouver's next mayor, went further, arguing people have no right to tell a private business what to do with their land.
"For us to reflect we might like to see something else on their land is presumptuous," he said, adding that Shell "bent over backwards" to achieve an innovative design.
Soprovich was incredulous at the suggestion. "If that's the attitude then the next three years are going to be long indeed," he said, referring to Smith's acclamation as mayor. "That's democracy in action. . . . It's not getting my support."
Following the meeting, Jones said construction could begin in the new year, depending on the development permit process. The existing station has already closed.
Council did take issue with the proposal to remove the bus bay as part of the development, as requested by TransLink staff. Several councillors argued that would cause congestion. Staff said that could be changed as part of the development permit process.
