This story has been amended since first posting.
District of North Vancouver council appears poised to pass its Lower Capilano - Marine Village Centre Implementation Plan.
If approved next month, the plan will set the stage for the next 20 years of growth and a total redevelopment in the area between Marine Drive and Fullerton Avenue on either side of Capilano Road.
The plan envisions about 1,200 more units of housing in townhouses, mid-rise condos and highrises, 100,000 square feet of commercial space, as well as a public plaza, green space and a new community centre.
At an informal workshop Monday, council members reflected on the draft and the two years of consultation that produced it.
"I'm very excited to see the draft at this stage because it has been informed by so much community engagement, right down to the kitchen table," said Coun. Alan Nixon. "I feel really confident the temperature that has been taken within the community is 98.6 F and we're in good shape. There are going to be a few tweaks but the most common comment I hear is 'When can we get on with it?'"
Developer Larco has been waiting for the plan to be passed before submitting its proposal for the piece of the neighbourhood that will be known as the "village centre," on a 4.35-acre site between Curling Road and Fullerton Avenue - formerly the home of the Capilano Winter Club. That project would include the community centre along with condos.
A lingering concern for almost everyone at the council table was one shared by neighbours - increased traffic in an area that already snarls to a halt during rush hour.
The plan includes reroutes and extensions of local streets designed to mitigate traffic problems on Marine Drive as well as changes to the traffic signal patterns.
With the Squamish Nation looking to add serious development to its lands in North and West Vancouver, as well as the City of North Vancouver adding to its housing stock, traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge isn't going to decrease, so the district would do well to start planning for it, Mayor Richard Walton said.
The plan includes a detailed traffic study conducted by an outside consultant that found, at full build-out, the area would have an additional 600 vehicle trips per hour at rush hour, above the existing 4,000. The neighbourhood is meant to appeal to younger folks who want to get into home ownership at lower price points than the single-family home market allows, while living in a walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhood.
The one issue the plan does not address is housing options for the streets that surround the planned centre, though the official community plan calls for the residential buildings at heights that would create a "stepping down" effect in the neighbourhood. Getting to work on that is something council should do sooner, rather than later, Coun. Roger Bassam said.
One more issue remains, according to staff - choosing a name for the neighbourhood. Staff are suggesting council consider Capilano Gateway, Capilano Crossroads, Capilano Village and Lionsgate.
EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story referred to the 4.35-acre property between Curling Road and Fullerton Avenue as the former site of the North Shore Winter Club. In fact, NSWC merged with the Capilano Winter Club, which was located on Curling Road, but has never been located there.
