Next Tuesday's meeting represents an important opportunity for DNV Council to start the Lynn Valley Revitalisation rolling.
Although they won't be actually approving any new projects - in large part because no applications have been made - they will be voting on having District staff "
Develop a Planning Framework to guide decision-making."
Here's my letter of support. Click here to send yours.
October
4, 2013
Mayor
Richard Walton
District of North Vancouver
Municipal Hall
355
West Queens Road,
North Vancouver, BC
Re:
Lynn
Valley Town Centre
Alternative Implementation Planning Directions
Dear
Mayor Walton and Council,
I
would like to urge you to approve Option
Three,
titled “Develop
a Planning Framework to guide decision-making (generally based on a
5- storey height limit with maximum 8 storeys at strategic locations;
additional height considered on a case-by-case basis).”
Surely
the District has invested enough time, energy, and money in seeking
out the opinions of those opposed to re-developing the Lynn
Valley Centre area.
I cannot see that anything more is to be gained by hosting more
meetings, gathering more opinions, or encouraging more letter
writing.
Lynn
Valley Center and the area surrounding it are in desperate need of
renovation. Delaying this work will do nothing but damage the
District, the property owners, and the people of Lynn Valley.
I
especially encourage you to make it a priority to find a
redevelopment plan for the Bosa property. The mall is losing tenants
on a regular basis, and time is of the essence. With their latest
designs Bosa have demonstrated that they are prepared to create a
development proposal that addresses both community concerns and their
needs as investors and developers.
Now
is the time for Council to begin to move this work ahead.
From
the perspective of a Lynn Valley resident, I am particularly
interested in seeing the District maximize the impact from Community
Amenity Strategy
(CAC) items. These are the things that will make the
Lynn Valley Town Centre
a lively and successful place.
I
would especially urge you to make
the development of cultural and arts facilities a
priority in
the Lynn Valley development.
You need only look at the tremendously successful Kay
Meek Centre
in West Vancouver, or the Shadbolt
Centre
in Burnaby, to see how lacking the District is in essential cultural
infrastructure.
Every
time that I visit the Shadbolt Centre I'm overwhelmed by the breadth
of their programming – visual arts, dance, music – and wish that
we had something similar on the North Shore.
Every
time that I attend a concert or event at the Kay Meek Centre I am
frustrated that the District has no public facility to match it.
You
now have an opportunity to create a similar institution in Lynn
Valley, a place where students and performers can gather; where
artists can work and show their work, and which will allow our young
creative artists to train and work in the District instead of
traveling to Vancouver or Burnaby.
Surely
these facilities are at least as important as playing fields, bike
paths, and skate parks.
Over
the last several years we have seen municipal elections,the lengthy
Official
Community Plan
process, the many Lynn Valley specific planning events, and thousands
of
hours of staff and Council time invested into defining the future of
Lynn Valley.
The
District has studied traffic, has projected population and
demographic changes, has commissioned studies, and has examined best
practices from other locales. Surely you have learned enough that you
can now make decisions
Enough
is enough. Now is the time for Council to show real leadership and
to starting moving the redevelopment of the region ahead.
Delaying
change while trying to satisfy every single complaint will get us
no-where.
Instead
it is imperative that Council show leadership and look at the big
picture, and at the long term future of Lynn Valley, and make those
decisions that will give us a livable and sustainable community in
Lynn Valley.
To
be frank: there is a part of Lynn Valley's population – a minority
to be sure – that will never ever be satisfied with any
change. This group would rather that see the middle of Lynn Valley
become a barren, empty parking lot than see anything built there.
Please
don't let these people undermine the vision that is expressed in the
Official Community Plan.
Yours sincerely,
Barry
Rueger