Adopt a Lynn Valley street today!

There’s a great new North Vancouver District program that can improve your life – and your community – all at the same time.

Whether you want to teach your kids responsibility, lose a few pounds, get your partner out walking with you more, meet your neighbours or help the environment, the new Adopt a Street Program may be just the motivation you’re looking for.

Courtenay Fraitzl, DNV Community Beautification Coordinator and (we’re proud to say) Lynn Valley native, says the Adopt a Street campaign is designed to strengthen ties not just within neighbourhoods, but between residents and their local government.

“It’s about making the District more accessible,” she says, noting that while the volunteer litter removal program does indeed help the District’s bottom line in times of tightened budgets, it’s also about residents having the opportunity to work more closely with people in the District, and have a conduit for reporting issues such as graffiti, blocked storm drains, etc.

Courtenay has been making the rounds of various community organizations to spread the word about the the Adopt a Street program. (She says she’s happy to come out to more, so keep her in mind for your next local meeting!) She encourages individuals, families, businesses, schools and other groups to consider getting on board with a street of their own. Courtenay is hoping people will aim for adopting a one-kilometre stretch of roadside, but will work to find a solution for individuals who might find that daunting

Once they have signed up for their area, volunteers are given safety instructions, reflective vests, litter-removal tongs, garbage bags and gloves. They are asked to clean up their street on a monthly basis, and to provide a brief report on how it went and any maintenance issues the District should be aware of. Teams will be recognized with an Adopt A Street sign posted on “their” street.

Courtenay, a mother of two, says she knows how busy life is for most people. That said, she’s confident the enjoyment people will get from meeting their neighbours and doing something positive in their community will be worth it.

Although Courtenay has only been at the Community Beautification post for six months or so, she is probably known to many North Vancouver families from her previous job; since 1996 and up until last summer, she was a district worker at Maplewood Farm. She obviously hasn’t cut all ties there; she gave us an enthusiastic report of all the pre-springtime farmyard activity under way at her old stomping grounds.

To contact Courtenay or learn more about the Adopt a Street program – and to get your pick of roadway! – click here or call the number on the graphic above. We had the honour of being this neighbourhood’s first street ‘adopters’, so if you see us LynnValleyLifers out patrolling our patch on the streets surrounding Lynn Valley Park, Lynn Valley Elementary School, and Pioneer Park,  be sure to honk. We’ll be the ones in the uber-cool vests!

 

New group supports those in pain

Heather Divine, founder and CEO of the non-profit People in Pain Network (PIPN), invites local residents to attend a new group that will meet in Lynn Valley on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

The goal of  the organization is to connect people who live with persistent pain and (and their families) to education, support and solutions.

“For the past 22 years I have been living and managing my own pain  and working to help others learn to adjust their body, mind, spirit and environment to live well with pain,” says Heather. “Studies state that one in five Canadians live with persistent pain and in BC that equals about 800,000 people.”

The group’s mission, she says, is to establish local community support groups, provide leadership training for peer leaders and to bring the Pain Toolkit self management program to all our support groups and to all our members.

The Lynn Valley group will gather in the  library meeting room from 6 to 8 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month, beginning on January 23.

Public hearing held for 27th and Mountain Hwy

Polygon, the developer behind The Branches residence across from Safeway on 27th Street, has proposed another multi-family complex on the corner of Mountain Highway and 27th Street.

An open house to discuss the four and five-storey buildings was held on June 21, 2012, at Kiwanis Lynn Manor. The next step is a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at which residents can address Council regarding the proposal.

Information and reports about the proposed 108-unit development can be found here. Council will decide whether or not to reject the application at a later date.

North Vancouver District Hall is located at 355 W. Queens Rd.; the meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Your views: citizens weigh in on town planning

We recently reported on North Vancouver District Council’s January 7 vote to extend the community consultation period regarding Lynn Valley town planning proposals. LynnValleyLife invited readers to familiarize themselves with the relevant issues and background information and then to fill out a feedback questionnaire for possible publication. We appreciate the responses we’ve received, and welcome them on an ongoing basis. 

The letters below may have been edited for clarity, grammar, length, and suitableness. We have made it clear that we wish to provide a forum for discussion that is both passionate and productive; inflammatory accusations may fulfil the first of those requirements, but rarely the latter. 

 

Town centre proposals will make for a vibrant community

From Darlene Clarke

1. What is your personal history here in Lynn Valley? I have lived in Lynn Valley for 14 years. I am married with two teenagers. We live close to Westover School (one of the reasons that we chose the house that we did). When my children were in their primary school years, Westover was closed due to declining enrolment. We love the Lynn Valley community and especially love living close to Lynn Canyon for hiking and walking.

2. How familiar are you with the town planning process? Did you get involved in any workshops or open houses, etc? Somewhat familiar. I have attended all the workshops and open houses that I was aware of and available to attend. Unfortunately, I did not hear about all of them so missed some that I would have liked to attend.

3. What are some of your greatest hopes or specific wishes for the Lynn Valley of the future? A vibrant, multigenerational and multicultural community with its roots in and support for the environmental amenities on the North Shore. A community that thinks like a Village within the larger North Vancouver and North Shore.

4. How well do you think the currently proposed town centre plan would fulfill those hopes? From what I know I think the impact of the proposed town centre plan would be positive. I would like my children to be able to find a home that they could afford within the community. When I am older and have to move from our single family home, I would like to have a choice to be able to stay in Lynn Valley.

The densification that the town centre would provide should give our community the economies of scale to be able to receive much more effective transit.

I think the Lynn Valley Centre/Village is the heart of our community. Currently Lynn Valley mall is slowly decaying. Once Zellers leaves, the mall will go downhill even faster. The town centre plan would allow revitalization of this critical area of our community.

I support the proposed town centre plan.

5. What concerns might you have with the high rises, or other aspects of the town centre proposals? Conversely, what do you see as their potential benefits? Benefits are listed above. Concerns are solely with the issues related to increased transportation. Even with better transit, there will be many more cars and the need for more parking spaces. I would also want the new buildings to be built to LEED standards and include charging facilities for electric vehicles. I would like North Vancouver to take a page from the City of Vancouver’s development requirements.

7. Any other comments you’d like to share? I would like to be added to a mailing list that lets people know when meetings/events are being held regarding Lynn Valley development. Does such a thing exist? [Editor’s note: Yes, such a thing exists! Send a note to [email protected] and ask to be put on the email distribution list for Lynn Valley town planning.]

A friend of mine is planning to move into a condo from a single-family dwelling and would like to stay on the North Shore. Since she is planning to purchase an electric vehicle in the near future, she requires EV charging in her condo parking area. She has not been able to find a single condo on the North Shore that has electric vehicle charging capability so she is now looking at having to more to the City of Vancouver. We can do better than this!

 

Future requires vision and cooperation

From Janet Dysart

1. What is your personal history here in Lynn Valley? I have lived and worked on the North Shore since 1975. My children were born North Vancouver and attended school in beautiful Lynn Valley.  As an immigrant to Canada many years before, I have found friendship here and a home from home . This is a community that flourishes and cares for its natural beauty, wildlife and mostly for its people….A place such as this is very special and we must do all we can to preserve it while allowing for some change.

2. How familiar are you with the town planning process? Did you get involved in any workshops or open houses, etc.? The OCP was a huge learning process for us all, but along the way we had some laughter and gained new ideas. It was a chance to understand local politics and policies and maybe alter some of them! I attended almost every workshop and open house, and was allowed to give my views as a community member easily and without criticism.

3. What are some of your greatest hopes or specific wishes for the Lynn Valley of the future?  Lynn Valley must adapt to the future. What we have is precious, and we can keep it and value it, but we must also provide some economic, employment and livable opportunities for our younger population to give them the chance to stay here or move here to work and play. It would also be wonderful if we enabled the generation that helped build Lynn Valley to stay here, to perhaps downsize, or to move closer to shopping, and gathering/meeting places.

4. How well do you think the currently proposed town centre plan would fulfill those hopes? If the planning is done as we all hoped there will be a chance

to live well here. Public transit, road safety, road usage, and lack of cycling lanes (in what is a cycling community) are a problem and must be addressed. Environmental issues to be considered are more pervious grounds, preservation of our famous streams and ponds and urban forests, pollution reduction and accessibility for all. Green roofs, green living walls, green areas within the town centre, trees (not just deciduous but also coniferous) and less cemented parking lots will help. We do not want to see a concrete jungle as we have now again.

5. What concerns might you have with the high rises, or other aspects of the town centre proposals? I personally believe there are too many high-rises planned as the design stands today. I do understand that we need higher density, but just how much can this community accept? There has to be a happy medium that we collectively can reach.

Too much has been incorrectly stated by those people opposing any change; those who probably did not attend any of the LV Town centre design and planning workshops; and those who think that change is simply not acceptable. The developer will not build if both sides do not compromise and come to an understanding together.

6. What do you see as potential benefits of the proposed higher density residences (high rises), or other aspects of the town centre proposals? There is a huge opportunity to have a community centre as a feature of this development, somewhere that all age groups can meet, learn, share their interests/knowledge and create a focal point for Lynn Valley residents to enjoy their community. Higher density may mean our shopping area will become more vibrant with employment opportunities for all. It desperately needs modernizing and has to appeal to young and old – right now it is “boring”. I’d like to see more walking space and fewer roads in the centre!

7. Any other comments you’d like to share? Certainly have a youth centre at Karen Magnussen Rec Centre, but a seniors centre must be an integral part of the new Town Centre for accessibility, community growth, and centralization of seniors services. They need to be able to walk to shops, coffee houses and doctors, rehab etc. Show our residents that we can have it all if we become involved, cooperate instead of oppose, and above all enjoy what we have. Resistance to densification is damaging locally as we plan collectively to move forward.

My brother lives in a European town with a town centre in which heritage buildings have been preserved, but the centre is mostly composed of wonderful walking streets with big and small stores, several offices, and restaurants with tables and colourful umbrellas outside on the plaza shared by all businesses. (Photo above)

I’d like to finish with quotes from Peter Simpson and Mayor Richard Stewart (Coquitlam) in January 12, 2013 Saturday’s Vancouver Sun:

Peter Simpson: Many thousands of people will move to Metro Vancouver over the next few years, and they will need a variety of housing options. We can’t be building moats and pulling up the drawbridges.

Mayor Stewart: Metro Vancouver is in a unique position. We can draw a hard line around development, as we have, or we can continue to allow urban sprawl. But if we don’t want urban sprawl, then our neighbourhoods will have to evolve. People must understand that planning principles involve greater densities in our futures. We must respond to housing demand, and anyone who thinks we can ignore housing demand is wrong.

 

High rises would destroy neighbourhood integrity

 From Terence H. Winkless

1. What is your personal history here in Lynn Valley? We moved to Lynn Valley from Fairview because we were seeking a less dense, peaceful environment, close to nature and with less traffic, smog, congestion and crime where we could raise our daughter.   We chose Lynn Valley because of the limits on building further into the mountain, which meant to us, less density and more peace.

 2. How familiar are you with the town planning process? Did you get involved in any workshops or open houses, etc?  I am not very familiar with the planning process.  I was not involved with it.  I saw no advertising for it in my local press or on the Internet, my primary news source.

 3. What are some of your greatest hopes or specific wishes for the Lynn Valley of the future?  My greatest hope is that Lynn Valley can grow without imploding.   The Branches building on 27th [across from Safeway] is an excellent example of what belongs in LV.  It is discreet and exquisite.  We’d like to see more of that on a gradual basis.  Simultaneous building of many structures is a nightmare.

4. How well do you think the currently proposed town centre plan would fulfill those hopes? It would demolish that hope.

5. What concerns might you have with the high rises, or other aspects of the town centre proposals?  The proposed town centre would destroy the integrity of the neighbourhood, leave a massive carbon footprint, and create traffic gridlock beyond repair, especially considering the project at the bottom of the hill.  It portends wrecking the entirety of North Vancouver for the inability to access it.  Clearly one hand is not talking to the other.

6. What do you see as potential benefits of the proposed higher density residences (high rises), or other aspects of the town centre?  There are no benefits to putting more people into the same amount of space as before, especially considering there will be no additional road improvements.  Mountain Highway is already chaotic and deadly.   Putting five rats in a cage designed for two results in a lot of dead rats, finger-pointing, blame being laid, and elections being lost.

7. Any other comments you’d like to share?  We moved to this suburb because we wanted a suburb.  If we wanted a dormitory, affordable by young people with minimal education and money, we would have gone to Metrotown or stayed in Fairview.  We will fight these towers with every legal means available.

 

Town plan would foster diversity and amenities

From Barry Rueger

1. What is your personal history here in Lynn Valley? I haven’t lived here for 22 years, didn’t buy a house here in 1987, and don’t have fond memories of what Lynn Valley may have been 30 or 40 years ago.  Instead I moved here about five years ago after living in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, and Whitesburg, Kentucky.  What this means is that I’ve seen a lot of cities; rural, urban, and suburban, and can look at Lynn Valley with fresh insight.

2. How familiar are you with the town planning process? Did you get involved in any workshops or open houses, etc? Although I haven’t been part of the workshops and information sessions, I expect that my understanding of planning processes is as good or better than most people.  I’ve been part of projects in other places that involved re-inventing or revitalizing neighbourhoods, and no matter where I lived I’ve been a keen follower of local government and planning.

 3. What are some of your greatest hopes for the Lynn Valley of the future? I look at the Lynn Valley Village that surrounds the Library, and think that this is exactly the kind of development we need.  I expect that many people groused and complained as it was developed and built, but don’t think that anyone can say it is less than a great success.

In particular I look at the crowds that visit during any event or concert, and think that this is the kind of development that builds a community.  The Village offers a really nice collection of “urban”-type businesses and services – the kind of things that you won’t see in a mall. It provides a great meeting place for community events like the farmers’ markets, pet days, and concerts; and thanks to Browns and Delany’s it especially provides a destination place for coffee or dinner.

4. How well do you think the proposed town centre plan will fulfill your hopes? I’ve actually looked over the proposals on the DNV website, and I think that the proposed developments will build on the success described above. As nice as the amenities are in The Village, they also require a population that can support the type of businesses that you find there. The residential community that would be developed would be a perfect complement to the kinds of stores and services that have appeared since the Village opened, and would encourage the development of more, similar businesses.

I’m very concerned about the future of the existing Lynn Valley Mall. The loss of Zellers as an anchor tenant will likely hurt the other stores in that end of the Mall.  These are all Mom and Pop businesses, and they rely on walk-through traffic for a fair bit of their income. Once Zellers goes, some of these stores will also be forced to close. Save-On-Foods customers alone are not enough to keep all of those businesses alive.

Once Zellers has closed there will be a two or three-block stretch of 27th with nothing but vacant buildings on the north side of the street.  That is not a good  thing.   The faster those properties are redeveloped, the better for everyone.

 5. What do you see as benefit(s) that would come with the higher density residences (high rises)? Benefits would include more people, probably younger people, and a demand for the kinds of amenities that Lynn Valley lacks.  As much as I love the butcher and the baker in the Mall, the truth is that I find myself travelling elsewhere for an awful lot of my shopping because the selection of goods and services in Lynn Valley is just too limited.  I would love to see another couple of mid- to high-end restaurants, and perhaps a bar with live music.

 6. Do you have any concerns that stem from the town centre proposals? Honestly, we have a planning process in place, and a staff at the District to oversee these things.  I’m prepared to assume that they’ve looked closely at questions like traffic, parking, transit, and such, and don’t see the point in second guessing them on those things.

 7. Any other comments you’d like to share?

Two quick things:

1) Traffic? TRAFFIC? In Lynn Valley??  In an average week I travel several times from the top of Lynn Valley Road to Grand Boulevard, and from Lonsdale and Osborne across to Mountain Highway.  A two-minute delay driving from Save-On to Sutherland Secondary is not “traffic.” Traffic is 90 minutes each way on the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto. Traffic is solid grid-lock at Georgia and Burrard.  Traffic is any major freeway in Detroit, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

2) I’m baffled by the pamphlet from the the anti-highrise folks, who on one hand want Lynn Valley to stay “family friendly,” but on the other hand complain about adding more homes because schools would be “overcrowded”.  Does this mean that they only want childless couples to move here?

 

Studies indicate fears are groundless

From Barbara Dodimead

1. What is your personal history here in Lynn Valley? I have been a resident of Lynn Valley since 2000.

 2. How familiar are you with the town planning process? Did you get involved in any workshops or open houses, etc? I wasn’t involved in any workshops or open houses but I was aware of the Lynn Valley Community Plan and the potential for re-development in this area.

 3. What are some of your greatest hopes for the Lynn Valley of the future? Housing which is more affordable than is currently available in Lynn Valley and housing options for residents of Lynn Valley who choose to  downsize from their larger homes.  I also want a “town centre” with lots of green space.

4.   How well do you think the proposed town centre plan will fulfill those hopes? I think this development will fulfill my hopes.

 5.    What do you see as benefit(s) that would come with the higher density residences (high rises)? More green space, housing which will be more affordable than what is currently available and more housing options for seniors. While searching for a single-level condominium for my mother three years ago in Lynn Valley the choices were very limited. There were some lovely townhouses, but as they had multiple levels this was not ideal for someone with mobility challenges.

6.   Do you have any concerns that stem from the town centre proposals? I was initially concerned because many local residents felt that this project would bring greater density,  more crime, more pollution, and more traffic. But when I did my own research, I discovered that researchers have looked at higher density and crime statistics and there is no link between higher density developments and an increase in crime.

Studies have also shown higher-density developments decrease pollution. A recent study by J.S. Miller (2011) determined that “higher density actually decreased carbon dioxide emissions by about 14% per person as compared to low land use developments.”

Furthermore, high-density developments have a greater efficiency in use of public service and infrastructure. It is a common misconception that higher density increases traffic.  In areas where a transit system is already in place, traffic actually decreases. Studies in downtown Vancouver have proven this.

7.    Any other comments you’d like to share? I am frustrated that many local residents  seem to be reacting as if this project has been thrust on us with no consultation.  Council began community-based planning in the mid-1990s, leading to the 1998 Lynn Valley Local Area Plan which brought us the Library Town Square, plus changes in the housing options in the area (eg. duplexes, triplexes and apartments).

We all need to get  involved in our community by looking at the North Vancouver District website, attending council meetings, or meeting  Mayor Walton at the local library so that we can all understand the challenges faced by our community and some of the tough decisions that need to be made rather than just being critical of change without offering any alternative solutions.

Furthermore, I  applaud the Lynn Valley Community Association (of which I am not a member) for not allowing people to attend the (formerly proposed) November 21st meeting unless they were members before November 1st.  People on these and other committees have worked countless hours to make our community better, and there has been ample opportunity for people to be involved in the process.  I personally think that many of those coming to the table at this late date will not be offering any solutions, but simply will be critical of decisions proposed by those who have taken the time to try to understand and offer solutions to some of the issues facing our community.

 

Hear about LV runner’s Indian adventure

We recently reported that Lynn Valley’s Hilary Ewart had successfully completed a 100-mile, five-day run through India’s Himalayan range, in the company of other North Shore running friends.

Now you can come hear Hilary and three other runners talk about their Himalayan adventure, along with the Mount Everest Challenge Marathon, at Jaycee House on Friday, February 8. See details below!

Kevin McKay creates Outhere designs

LynnValleyLife loves to profile local artists from all walks of life. If you’re a Lynn Valley musician, writer, artist, or other performer, let us know and we’ll send you our questionnaire! Here’s our latest interview, with visual artist Kevin McKay:

How long have you lived in Lynn Valley?

My wife and I have lived in Lynn Valley now for four years.

How would you describe the type of art you create? Have you always painted, or have you worked in different genres?
I always drew for fun when I was growing up. I’m a self-taught artist with a vast imagination. When I was young I mainly used shading pencils, pencil crayons, and felt. I would create cartoon characters and landscapes. I would colour them in, practice shading and bring them to life that way. I continued that from very young to about 20 years old, and I still love to colour and shade drawings in.

Then around the age of 20 I started taking the drawings I did on paper and put them onto canvases using acrylics. This made the characters and landscape pop out way more.  I’ve always had a love for graffiti.   The big colourful pieces always attracted me. I would sketch out letters and create a background then colour it all in with the acrylics.

Then about five months ago I was flipping through YouTube videos of graffiti artists when I saw this other style of painting using spray paint. People were creating planets and detailed landscapes using paint, magazines for texture, lids off of jars that act as a stencil for the planets, sponges, pallet knife. Mainly everything you can find in your own home.

This style really intrigued me, so I went down to Opus and picked up some spray paint. The first one I tried was a simple space scene. It came out so cool. From that first canvas I was hooked. From there I have progressed from simple space scenes to advanced nature scenes, with mountain ranges, waterfalls, trees, bushes. The spray paint changed my style from very cartoony landscapes and characters to more detailed, true landscape pieces.

I’m an aspiring artist who works landscaping during the day and paints it by night.


Do you work alone, or take part in some sort of artists’ community?

I mainly work alone. I have done one demonstration before at Opus Art Supplies. It was a two-hour demo on different techniques. I am open to more demos for sure!  I also do custom orders. Each piece I do for someone, I film and edit the painting as it comes to life. I recently took part in the Anonymous Art Show down at Cityscape. I sold two pieces there in the first hour of the opening night.  My main focus on art is progression and to be able to inspire people as I go along!

What inspires you to create works of art?
Nature is a huge inspiration! I have spent many years in Lynn Canyon, cliff jumping and hiking around the entire park. The river and waterfalls through there are a big inspiration as well.

What do you do with your finished pieces?
Currently I have a lot of them on my wall. I will be taking some canvases and other art pieces down to a Gallery called “Art Addiction” at 138 Pender Street. It is a gallery that is starting up and already has beautiful collection of art.

Can you tell us about one or two of your favourite pieces?
My first favourite piece would have to be the snowboard I painted.  The board was unusable so I turned it into a piece of art, I call it “Mystic Forest” I like it because the greens pop out so nicely and I just think it all flows nicely.

The second one would have to be one I recently did of Twin Falls. It was my first try at it, and was from memory. I like this because it has opened a new set of paintings. I am going to be doing one of 90-foot pool, focusing on the jump known as “gateway”.

What are some of your other hobbies or accomplishments?
I have many other hobbies.  Some are cliff jumping in the canyon in the summer, and soaking up the sunny weather on the rocks at Thirty Foot.  I’ve made a movie of a summer in Lynn Canyon. It’s on YouTube under “lynn canyon locals.”

Can you tell us a bit about your ‘day job’?When I’m not there I can usually be found riding my BMX around various North Van and downtown spots. I love hiking, kayaking, and basically anything outside.


How can people see or learn more about your work?
I work for “Sequoia Landscaping.”  We do driveways, patios, pathways, and retaining walls.  My favourite thing to work with is paving stones. I love doing big driveways, there is definitely an art to all of it – that’s why I enjoy it so much, I guess!

Currently I have a Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Outhere-designs/437828496265306

I’m in the middle of getting a website up and running so stay tuned!

Kevin McKay
Outhere designs
604-839-6182 Email:
[email protected]

 

 

Council votes to extend LV town planning consultation

North Vancouver District Council members sat in front of a packed house at their first regular council meeting since the Christmas break.

Most people in attendance at the Jan. 7th meeting were there to demonstrate their interest in the future of Lynn Valley as envisioned in the Lynn Valley Town Centre Implementation Plan. While a number of open houses, surveys and other feedback events had been held during the plan’s development – a fact of which the audience was reminded on more than one occasion over the course of the evening – the inclusion of  high-rise buildings in the planning department’s ultimate proposal was largely to account for a recent rush of activity amongst some local residents.

As expressed in letters to the North Shore News and self-published leaflets, their concerns include potential changes in traffic patterns and neighbourhood character that would accompany the high-density residences.

LynnValleyLife publisher Jim Lanctot described the tenor of the evening as being orderly and respectful. “The District council and staff were clearly willing to listen, and to go the extra mile to make sure people have the chance to express their views.  At the same time, they’re being clear that town planning is a joint District-citizen responsibility. They want people to suggest realistic solutions to the issues at hand, instead of just veto-ing everything they don’t like.”

Local resident Dan Ellis is the chair of the Implementation Committee, a citizen-based body that helps engage the community and monitors the implementation of the Official Community Plan in NVD neighbourhoods. At the council meeting, his presentation spoke to the importance of citizen involvement at all stages of the planning process, and the trade-offs that must be carefully considered in decision-making.

Town planner Karen Rendek gave a brief PowerPoint history of Lynn Valley’s town centre planning to date, which included the recommendation that Council direct staff to engage in further intensive community consultation activities over the next few months, with the goal of creating a draft plan by the end of April. Council approved this recommendation. For video clips of the meeting’s highlights, or the entire recorded proceedings, click here.

LynnValleyLife encourages all local residents to think about the planning issues thoughtfully, and to learn more by reading the background material along with views from a diverse range of citizens and professionals. The Lynn Valley Community Association offers an excellent Sustainable Communities speaker series that brings in expert speakers on a range of topics, and we have a reader-friendly, encapsulated history of the town planning process on our Front Porch blog.

Once you’ve had the chance to think through some of the issues at stake, we invite you to submit your own opinions and comments to share with other LynnValleyLife readers. Please click on this post for our submission guidelines.

Stay on top of the town planning consultation process by reading our blog and Events Calendar, becoming a member of the Lynn Valley Community Association, and visiting North Van District’s Identity website regularly. Given this newly extended consultation period, there’s no excuse to stay uninvolved!

 

 

Wanted: your thoughtful views on LV development plan

For a number of years, North Vancouver District planners worked on an Official Community Plan for the municipality, which was formally approved by council in June 2011. That OCP then became the foundation for the further planning of ‘town centre’ areas of the District, including Lynn Valley.

During both processes, the District offered a large number of workshops, open houses, surveys and other citizen engagement activities to solicit the views of as many residents as possible. However, you can’t please all the people all the time, and now that proposals for Lynn Valley’s town centre redevelopment are being announced, people have expressed their views, both positive and negative, in a variety of forums.

At the Jan. 7 NVD council meeting, staff recommended, and Council approved, a further period of public engagement before another town centre implementation plan is submitted in April. See our report of the meeting here.

Our goal at LynnValleyLife has been to communicate helpful information about the OCP implementation plans, offer explanations about re-zoning processes and the path of development applications, and ensure residents have the contact information they need to ask questions, learn more, and submit their own feedback. Those articles are being posted to the Development and Town Planning section of our Front Porch blog, so that’s a good place to start learning about some of these issues.

Now we would like to launch a forum for reasoned, thoughtful discussion about the proposed town centre development and its potential impact on the community. The quality of life in our neighbourhood is crucial to all of us, and the issues being raised are important. That said, we don’t intend to publish comments that are inflammatory or accusatory – we see no benefit to conversation that is divisive instead of productive.

We continue to support the work of the District in soliciting citizen feedback as preliminary applications and public hearings unroll over the next months, and we give a big tip of the hat to the many local residents who have given their time and attention to this process from the beginning, attending forums and submitting their views.

We welcome further feedback from citizens, and ask that they tell us their views on the proposed town centre plan by answering the questions below. Just cut-and-paste the questions into an email message or a Word document, add your responses, then send them our way at [email protected]. (Prior to possible publication, we reserve the right to edit for clarity, grammar and length.)

We look forward to hearing your thoughts, and sharing them with our readers. We’re soliciting creative ideas, a variety of viewpoints, open minds, and a collegial exchange of opinions. We know you have a lot of passion for this neighbourhood, Lynn Valleyites, so let’s see what we can do when we put our heads together!

 

LV Town Centre Feedback Form:

NAME:
ADDRESS (will not be published):

1. What is your personal history here in Lynn Valley?

2. How familiar are you with the town planning process? Did you get involved in any workshops or open houses, etc?

3. What are some of your greatest hopes or specific wishes for the Lynn Valley of the future?

4. How well do you think the currently proposed town centre plan would fulfill those hopes?

5. What concerns might you have with the high rises, or other aspects of the town centre proposals?6. What do you see as potential benefits of the proposed higher density residences (high rises), or other aspects of the town centre proposals?

7. Any other comments you’d like to share?

 

Thanks very much! We’ll be interested to read your thoughts, and will put a selection of comments from a variety of residents in upcoming blog posts on LynnValleyLife.

 

 

Good Neighbour announced at LV Christmas finale

Wow! Lynn Valley, you’ve got what it takes!

Last night’s grand finale of the 12 Days of Christmas in Lynn Valley Village was a labour of love by so many, most particularly the hard-working valley folk in the Lynn Valley Community Association, the Lynn Valley Lions and the fine musicians and actors of Lynn Valley United Church.

The two-hour production featured the young adult and adult community choirs of the church, the church’s Friday Night Live improv team, the singing of valley favourite Bobbi Smith, and a storyline that wove throughout the music to bring the message of Christmas home.

 

One definite highlight of the evening was an unscripted marriage proposal, ring and all, sung on stage with harmonic back-up from the FNL crew! Many congratulations to the happy couple, and thanks for sharing your Big Moment with all of us!

 

That was a tough act to follow, but Bobbi Smith managed it just fine, and after a few songs gave a tribute to Lynn Valley’s community values, giving LynnValleyLife the perfect  opportunity to announce the winner of this year’s Good Neighbour Award.

Lynn Valley United Church parishioners in the crowd went wild when they heard that one of their own had won the honour, which was awarded to the person who won the draw of all our top Good Neighbour nominees.

photo courtesy Linda Mackie

We were delighted to give the Good Neighbour Award 2012 plaque and prize package to Rosemary Postlethwaite, a church elder who has spent a decade collecting bottles and cans to help fund the church’s program that makes sandwiches for the homeless. You can read more about Rosemary here, in the nomination that was submitted by Kelly Jenner (who won a gift certificate to the Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub for having nominated the award winner!)

The Good Neighbour Award, launched this year, gave us a very welcome opportunity to share stories about many of the people here in Lynn Valley who reach out to help others in quiet ways, large ways, public ways and private ways. We know there are a lot more fine folks out there, so we hope you keep our Good Neighbour Award in mind over the year to come, so you’ll have someoneto nominate when we launch the award again in November 2013.

In the meantime, we would like to take this year-end opportunity to thank all those community volunteers, especially those people in the groups mentioned above, for putting so much time and effort into the Christmas Tree Walk, the 12 Days of Christmas entertainment, and the first-ever Christmas tree at the corner of Mountain Highway and Lynn Valley Road.

We know it will be a busy year ahead with Lynn Valley Day and other community celebrations, so please consider becoming an active member of one of these organizations, or looking for different ways to support them. Check out their websites, above, and look here for information about joining the community choir that was featured last night.

Wouldn’t that make a great New Year’s resolution?

Merry Christmas, Lynn Valley!

photo courtesy Linda Mackie

Anxious nighttime search something to remember

It was a wet, slushy night and our band gig down at the Lynn Valley Village Christmas Tree Walk had been cancelled. I was looking forward to a night in front of the fire, but life, of course, had other plans and at 4:30 p.m. I was instead trudging exasperatedly down the dark street to help my son look for his lost wallet.

When I caught up to him, though, he wasn’t looking for the Canucks wallet that had fallen out of his pocket on the way home from school. “I’m helping this kid find his sister,” he explained, gesturing to the solemn-looking boy beside him.

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