RESIDENTS opposed to, in favour of, and every persuasion in between can soon have their official say about a proposal to put a women's recovery house onto a piece of District of North Vancouver property adjacent to Murdo Fraser Park.
Council voted Monday night to send Turning Point Recovery House Society's proposal for a nine-bed group home for women recovering from alcohol abuse to a public hearing.
Turning Point is intending to finance the construction of the home on a vacant lot at the north end of Lloyd Avenue that was the site of a district-owned rental home until it was demolished in 2010.
Two residents from the neighbourhood came to Monday's meeting to urge council to look at the potential downsides of Turning Point's proposal.
The land was never dedicated as park, but some critics feared the project could set a precedent putting the rest of the district's parks in jeopardy. Other concerns included a lack of assurance that Turning Point would be good neighbours, and the perceived rush to see the proposal through without adequate consultation with neighbours.
However, those claims were flatly denied by members of council, all of whom voted to schedule a public hearing.
The public process for Turning Point has been more robust than any other rezoning of late, Coun. Doug MacKay-Dunn said, and district council makes it clear every proposal is considered on its merits, not previous decisions. As for the issue of losing park space, that is one thing the district has in abundance that it can contribute to setting up the North Shore's first alcoholism recovery house, he added.
The public hearing is set for May 7 at 7 p.m. at district hall.
