Dear Editor:
The North Shore News suggested on Nov. 25 (in the news story DNV Development Debate Strikes Generational Rift) that a rift existed in District of North Vancouver council regarding an official community plan review as a result of generational differences among members of council. I write otherwise.
During my 2014 District of North Vancouver election campaign, my position was that a review of the official community plan was critical to the longer term success of the DNV.
Mayor Richard Walton (expressed a similar viewpoint) at all-candidates meetings and later from his chair in council chambers. Incumbent Couns. Lisa Muri and Doug MacKay-Dunn plus candidate (now councillor) Jim Hanson agreed with me, I think, at least in principle.
While I was not successful in my campaign, at that time, the aforementioned three candidates all finished in the top four by votes on election night. The mandate for the new DNV council was clear. The mandate was a review of the OCP and a moratorium on new development, if required.
I agree that a moratorium would be extreme and would prefer instead the formation of a regional planning authority from Lions Bay to Deep Cove. The authority could properly manage such issues as the Earl’s restaurant development on Marine Drive where the building is in West Vancouver and the parking is in the DNV – neither local government having yet discussed the overlap. Similar situations exist between the City of North Vancouver and the DNV, specifically regarding redevelopment in Delbrook and ongoing conflict regarding recreation infrastructure.
In the absence of that authority it is clear that a moratorium is required not only in the DNV but across the North Shore.
Any rift on DNV council regarding a moratorium is not generational, it is a function that some members of council have rejected the mandate the voters gave them in 2014. With all due respect, those councillors and even the mayor should step aside and allow that mandate to be met or should step down and call for byelections.
Hazen S. Colbert
North Vancouver
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