Skip to content

EDITORIAL: Industrial dilemma

There is an industrial-strength dilemma looming over the District of North Vancouver’s waterfront. Heads spun in 2017 when developer Wesbild bought the property at 1371 McKeen Ave. for an unprecedented $115 million.
wb

There is an industrial-strength dilemma looming over the District of North Vancouver’s waterfront. Heads spun in 2017 when developer Wesbild bought the property at 1371 McKeen Ave. for an unprecedented $115 million.

To make good on their investment, the company is now looking to subdivide the 27-acre property into smaller lots. The Lions Gate Marina would stay, as would a concrete production plant. But the northern 15 acres of the site would be redeveloped into new businesses.

With things like RV storage currently, the land employs only about one person per acre, according to the developer, so there is no question it could be put to higher use if light industrial land and jobs are a priority for the district.

It would also likely mean a healthy new source of tax revenue for municipal coffers.

But, there are some strong arguments to be made against Wesbild’s plan. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, which was outbid on the sale, is opposed to any change that could hamper its mission to facilitate goods movement and trade, which are in the national interest.

And there’s also the matter of traffic. The current council has shown little interest in approving any housing for the local workforce and the industrial area is not served at all by transit, which means the vast majority of those new workers will likely be coming to the site via our two congested bridges.

Unlike a rezoning, however, this is not council’s decision to make. It must be made by their appointed approving officer, who is also their director of planning, Dan Milburn. We do not envy him because, no matter what he decides, the stakes are huge.

What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.