Dear Editor:
Re: Ambleside Highrise Quashed, Split West Van Council Sends 15-storey Tower Back to Drawing Board, July 29 front-page story.
Only in West Vancouver would the mayor castigate councillors for properly doing the job that they were elected to.
Briefly, the proposal’s call for the width of the building to be extended by 11 feet beyond what West Vancouver currently allows for the first 10 storeys was a source of contention for Couns. Craig Cameron and Bill Soprovich.
Soprovich reasonably asked the architect why the IBI Group did not stay within the bylaws ... and received an almost poetic response: “the extra width allows for a more interesting architectural form that would be visually appealing to the neighbourhood.”
However, Cameron observed from the project renderings, the bulk of the extra width would affect the residents of single-family homes north of the site who would have their views of the water blocked by a building 10 per cent wider than the current allowance.
Cameron also figured the developer would be saving approximately $1.6 million by not including the extra 43 (parking) spaces that is currently required. He also mentioned that future owners likely would have more than one car, adding to the existing shortage of street parking.
Gee, maybe the original residents would be competing with the new residents for street parking — complete with staking out “reserved spaces” with traffic cones, as is occurring in North Vancouver.
It should be noted that Coun. Cassisdy was of the same opinion as Cameron re: parking. Mayor Smith said he was shocked by how unreceptive the other councillors were to the project.
“We have a tough problem attracting really quality developers to come into West Vancouver.” Perhaps he should apply the same rationale to the “quality” developers of new single-family homes in West Vancouver. If he would like to be challenged, he should give me a call and I can show him an abomination of a quality developer project.
Harry Mayor
West Vancouver
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
