Dear Editor:
While I support the District of West Vancouver’s efforts to try to develop affordable housing for low and middle income workers, I am vehemently opposed to any buildings being erected on this site (at 2195 Gordon Ave.) that do not meet the current zoning for the property. Let me remind those of you who have short memories, the reason this property is generally known in the official community plan as the Kiwanis Lands is because the land was donated for the sole benefit of seniors more than 60 years ago. Kiwanis was given ownership of the land for the purpose of building low-cost housing for low-income seniors.
Today, there is an unprecedented demand for beds in long-term care facilities. Dementia, in all its ugly forms, is on the rise along with other debilitating health issues that need specialized care. There is no better use of the land than a publicly funded long-term care facility. I urge council to comply with the wishes of the residents who donated the property 60 years ago and negotiate a deal with the local health authority to get it done. Future generations will thank you for your vision and determination to stand tall and do the right thing.
Ivor Bennett
West Vancouver
Editor’s Note: According to municipal property records, the municipality sold a portion of the property at 2195 Gordon Ave. to Kiwanis in 1955 for $13,600. Kiwanis then acquired the remainder of the property at 2195 Gordon Ave. by purchasing adjacent lots from private owners. By 1998, Kiwanis assembled the property in its current form and sold it to North Shore Health Region (predecessor of Vancouver Coastal Health). In 2014, VCH sold the property to the municipality for $16.07 million.
According to the District of West Vancouver, there is a covenant registered against the property in favour of the district stating that the owner of the property “shall not permit the lands or any part thereof be used for any purpose except for the purpose of a health-care facility or such community use as may be consented to in writing by the municipality.” The district, therefore, has the ability to discharge the covenant in the future if rezoning for multi-family residential use is approved.
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