Summer vacation ends for mayors and councillors this Monday as the North Shore’s three local governments are all scheduled to return to their respective council chambers.
The new Harry Jerome rec centre may take centre stage at city hall in central Lonsdale, suggested City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto.
While city council is united on the need to replace the dilapidated rec centre, divisions abound on what shape the new centre should take.
As financial estimates roll in, Mussatto said he’s optimistic council will eventually back a more modest centre. Mussatto has previously stated that a 50-metre pool is out of step with community needs.
“I am optimistic that council will . . . tone it down a bit,” he said. “We’re talking very significant dollars here that we just don’t have.”
Plans are also in place to bring the city’s portion of the Spirit Trail closer to completion. Due to the complexity of the terrain and the need to install a pedestrian bridge, the cost of the Mosquito Creek Marina segment of the trail ballooned from $2.8 to $5.9 million. However, that portion of the trail is now set for completion this fall.
Mussatto said he’s also hoping to work closely with the new NDP provincial government to improve public transit – particularly in terms of east-west connections – on the North Shore.
“When great cities really come into their own is when they have a great public transportation system and we haven’t done anything on the North Shore in many years.”
The District of North Vancouver has a host of projects in the pipeline, including a 408-unit proposal earmarked for Emery Village in Lynn Valley. Staff are currently reviewing the project, which includes five buildings between five and 12 storeys.
District of North Vancouver Coun. Roger Bassam promised to make waste collection his top priority this fall following a flurry of complaints that greeted the district’s new garbage collection system.
Outside of the chambers, District of North Vancouver councillors will also lobby at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention this fall for quicker crash clearing.
Currently, any collision that does more than $1,000 worth of damage requires a police investigation. If the district’s application is successful, the threshold would rise to $10,000, allowing fender benders that clog bridge traffic to be briskly moved aside.
The police are slated to keep a close eye on West Vancouver council as they’re set to move into their new digs at municipal hall Sept. 28.
West Vancouver’s official community plan review is also set to keep rolling this fall, with an emphasis on how the general ideas for the OCP can translate ideas into reality.
West Van council also narrowly approved a plan for Marine Drive between Capilano Road and Park Royal, which could open the door for development in the area including a 26-storey tower.
