I’m going to leave the Seymour area for this month’s column and talk about an event in the western part of the District of North Vancouver. In January we are going to use the same Community Dialogue approach we used to address Deep Cove parking issues to discuss the future of the Delbrook Community Centre Lands.
Even though Delbrook is some distance from the neighbourhoods in Seymour and Deep Cove, the issue has significance for the whole district. By the time you are reading this paper you will have already received an invitation in the mail to participate in this innovative, open and transparent public process and I sincerely hope you will do so.
First, let me share a little bit of history. Delbrook high school was built in 1956 and used until 1977 when a portion of the school was destroyed by a fire. Delbrook students finished the year in Balmoral junior and Carson Graham senior high school as the school did not reopen. The district purchased the site in 1981 and refurbished the buildings least damaged by the fire.
Since then, the site and remaining buildings have been operated by the North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission as a community recreation centre.
In 2006, the NVRCC completed a comprehensive study on behalf of the district and the City of North Vancouver to assess indoor recreation facilities and services, and identify the community’s future needs. The research, along with public input, helped form the Indoor Recreation Facility Plan. Included in the plan’s recommendations was the consolidation of William Griffin and Delbrook community recreation centres into one new facility. The William Griffin centre closed in December 2013, and a new consolidated facility is being built on the same site, opening in the fall of 2016.
The existing buildings on the Delbrook site are in poor condition and do not meet current health, safety or seismic standards. Since council’s decision to build a new consolidated community recreation centre, the district has not made any major component renewals or capital investments in the site, which will close to the public in 2017.
The Delbrook site, on West Queens Road, is located adjacent to two arterial roads and along a future frequent transit network. It is within walking distance of schools, parks, forested trails, the replacement Delbrook recreation facility (on the William Griffin site) and shops. What we decide as a community to do with this piece of land has significance for the whole district, as well as the local neighbourhood. Through the community dialogue process, our goal is to determine the most broadly supported options for future use of the land.
The work will proceed in three phases. The first phase, in January, will see the community generate ideas on potential future uses for the land and provide input on the further engagement process that will follow.
The second phase, February to April, will involve technical research and analysis, as well as potential feedback from council, on the ideas generated. Phase three will involve residents and stakeholders participating in a deliberative dialogue, similar to the Deep Cove Parking and Access Dialogue we conducted in 2015. The results of this dialogue will be summarized in a report to council for decision.
The input provided by district residents in January will help us understand the full range of community ideas for potential future use of the land, as well as the range of potential impacts and interests.
The goal of the deliberative dialogue event in June is to recommend an approach that is informed by community values and real-world constraints, and is broadly supported by the public.
Final decision-making will rest with district council. The ideas workshop is happening on the evening of Jan. 28, and pre-registration is required by Jan. 22. You’ll find all the information about it online at dnv.org/delbrooklands. If you’re unable to attend in person, you can submit your ideas via our website.
Best wishes to all of you and your families from our council for a prosperous 2016!
