North Shore Updates

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Can't wait for Sager to come out crying about this.

The Park Royal plans are pretty pointless since most of the surrounding properties around the mall have been redeveloped in the past 10-20 years. Maybe Larco will try to push forward with a housing densification on the North Mall.

Also kind of awkward when half of the redevelopment zone is the main Squamish reserve which is primarily populated by low density SFHs and mall parking lots...

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by chowhou

Also kind of awkward when half of the redevelopment zone is the main Squamish reserve which is primarily populated by low density SFHs and mall parking lots...

Well they've already started work on planning for the section facing Marine Drive on the SW corner. And there was always talk of them redeveloping some of the land south of the mall where the reserve extends into Ambleside.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Didn't the Squamish want to do some development of their own at the Park Royal site? I wouldn't expect the detached homes and parking to still be there 10-20 years from now.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Didn't the Squamish want to do some development of their own at the Park Royal site? I wouldn't expect the detached homes and parking to still be there 10-20 years from now.

It's one thing to develop reserves which have no existing member residents (Senakw), I have to imagine it's a very different story when it's the reserve the bulk majority of your membership lives on and are currently happy in SFHs. Even the Tsleil Waututh who only have one real reserve keep a very healthy distance between the higher density leaseholds they've been building and the SFH member housing.

Remember that they're all still North Shore residents at the end of the day.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Hypothetically, they could build higher density on the empty half, convince enough members to move down the street, and then develop the empty homes. No idea if that'd work in practice.

[griswold]

The Taylor Way & Marine Drive intersection is already a nightmare. Seems weird to prioritize high density TOD when there's no transit except the bus stations. Are they even pushing for the Skytrain purple line to get built to there? IF that happens it'll be 15 years until its finished at best.

[LeftCoaster]

Knowing the timeline to change the neighbourhood plan, rezone a project, and get the necessary permits (DP/BP) and build, 14 years is probably about right...

It might be nice to have a transit expansion complete simultaneously with some new housing, rather than 5-10 years before like we have been doing on the last few expansions (Millennium, Canada Line, Broadway expansion...)

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by griswold

The Taylor Way & Marine Drive intersection is already a nightmare. Seems weird to prioritize high density TOD when there's no transit except the bus stations. Are they even pushing for the Skytrain purple line to get built to there? IF that happens it'll be 15 years until its finished at best.

They'll build a Low Level road connection through the back of Park Royal which will help remove local traffic from traffic headed to the bridge.

[jollyburger]

Sager wants a Skytrain before he considers Park Royal a transit hub.

How the government deemed Park Royal not to be a "Category 2 Bus Exchange or West Coast Express in Metro Vancouver" in the TOA policy does seem weird. Lonsdale Quay got added in Summer 2024.

West Van Mayor Mark Sager said there were no surprises in the province’s announcement.

“We anticipated that they would name Park Royal a transit density area. That just isn’t a surprise to me at all,” he said.

But for that change to be meaningful, the province has to step up and properly fund transit to the area, Sager said.

“It’s fine to say this is a transit-oriented corridor and hub, and we all understand the practicalities of that, but [we need to] see them step up to the table,” he said.

The provincial advisor’s report notes that the Park Royal area isn’t currently a transit hub, Sager said, but the district “fully supports” it going in that direction.

“Ultimately, there should be some consideration of some way to get [improved] transit to Park Royal,” he said. “If we’re not going to get another crossing, how about some form of rail that gets people there.”

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/provin...ommunity-plans-for-more-housing-10697660

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Sager wants a Skytrain before he considers Park Royal a transit hub.

One can only hope that the province takes this fleeting moment of West Vancouver pro-transit sentiment and acts on it.

How the government deemed Park Royal not to be a "Category 2 Bus Exchange or West Coast Express in Metro Vancouver" in the TOA policy does seem weird. Lonsdale Quay got added in Summer 2024.

To be fair, Lonsdale Quay is both a bus loop and a SeaBus terminus.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by chowhou

One can only hope that the province takes this fleeting moment of West Vancouver pro-transit sentiment and acts on it.



To be fair, Lonsdale Quay is both a bus loop and a SeaBus terminus.

I mean Dunbar Loop qualifies so it seems to be a pretty low bar

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Sager wants a Skytrain before he considers Park Royal a transit hub.

The fun part is he doesn't want either. It's just a convenient way to push one thing off and tie it to a tougher to achieve later date.

[jollyburger]

Here's the Ambleside Local Area Plan that is going to public hearing in June

Zoning updates to allow 3-4 storeys on most lots in the LAP, including on small lots
Five sites designated ‘Waterfront’ along Bellevue West of 15th allowing taller forms through rezoning
Four sites along parts of Clyde and Duchess allowing taller forms through rezoning

https://vancouvermarket.ca/2025/05/13/west-vancouver-finalizes-ambleside-centre-local-area-plan/

[jollyburger]

West Vancouver council considers 19-storey strata tower in Ambleside

The first major development proposal seen at council since the new Ambleside apartment plan passed last year is asking for that plan to be amended.

At a Monday meeting, West Vancouver council voted for a preliminary application to build a 19-storey apartment building at 1552 Esquimalt Ave. to be advanced to the public information stage.

Only Coun. Nora Gambioli was opposed. The public has just expressed what should be built in the area via the recently approved local area plan, and to amend it right away would undermine council’s credibility, she said.

Currently, developer Wall Financial is proposing to build a 139-unit apartment building as infill on a lot with an existing 20-storey rental tower built in 1970. If approved, the existing tower would be permanently secured as rental.

The new stratified tower would be secured as rental for six years. The district’s current regulations don’t allow for a strata development to be so dense. It’s around 60 units over what the current zoning allows, the developer said.

For that reason, staff recommend that the application be revised to comply with the official community plan before going to a public information meeting.

Meanwhile the resident idiot on council:

“Council received death threats during this public consultation process,” she said. “So I just want to be very careful, in case this goes ahead, that everyone else on council realizes that this is not going to be an easy one.”

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/west-v...torey-strata-tower-in-ambleside-10728603

And the Ambleside local area plan is sidelined for more study:

West Vancouver council isn’t passing a new area plan for its central Ambleside neighbourhood anytime soon.

At a meeting on Monday, most of council wanted to delay first reading of the Ambleside centre local area plan. That comes after the vote had just been deferred at the previous meeting on May 12, after receiving a last-minute letter from the Ambleside Dundarave Residents Association.

Council again received a letter from ADRA before the May 26 meeting, asking for more time to consider the plan.

While most members of council wanted to delay the decision, they couldn’t agree for how long. Coun. Scott Snider put forward a motion to defer a first vote to June 9, but the vote failed 3-3.

Couns. Linda Watt, Christine Cassidy and Peter Lambur were opposed, wanting to wait until the district receives incoming housing demands from the province, which they said could impact the Ambleside plan.

Watt was acting mayor during the discussion, as Mayor Mark Sager had recused himself because he owns an office in Ambleside.

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/ambleside-centre-plan-stalls-at-west-vancouver-council-10734060

[RedArbutus]

Interesting, North Vancouver RCMP are closing the Community Policing office on East 3rd near Lonsdale. A barometer of just how much foot traffic has increased in the Shipyards but also reduced it in other CNV sub-neighbourhoods.

“When it opened there was a lot of foot traffic on Third Street, but now … the foot traffic has migrated towards the Shipyards,” he said, listing restaurants, the skating rink and water park as attractions that are now drawing people to the waterfront.”

Sahak said community policing offices are common in B.C., depending on the size of a municipality.

“The public could go there and get some crime prevention information, tools, pamphlets, and there was a station available for officers to work out of there,” he said, adding that there wasn’t an officer permanently stationed at the location.

But the public can still access policing resources at the North Van RCMP detachment at 147 East 14th St., Sahak said.

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/north-...licing-office-in-lower-lonsdale-10766533

[mcj]

Originally Posted by RedArbutus

A barometer of just how much foot traffic has increased in the Shipyards but also reduced it in other CNV sub-neighbourhoods.

An example of how high quality spaces generate economic activity (i.e. foot traffic). Too bad we don't have anything similar to the Shipyards under construction anywhere else right now.

[jollyburger]

But has it even reduced that much? There's probably more people living along Third with the modest redevelopments they've made. And it was never a huge shopping/dining road either.

Basically it's an office with information that is probably all online.

[jollyburger]

Just noticed Nchkay said they are going to start community engagement on what they want to do with the Mosquito Creek Marina.

[RedArbutus]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Just noticed Nchkay said they are going to start community engagement on what they want to do with the Mosquito Creek Marina.

Time for me to spam them with pleas for a (financially viable) ferry boat service to Kits Point/Senakw....

[jollyburger]

Same problem as any other development how do you get commercial into an area and remain financially viable while waiting for enough residents to support said businesses.

North Van may allow new restaurant in long-vacant Lynn Creek space

Order up. District of North Vancouver is looking to allow a restaurant to move into a long-vacant commercial space in the Lynn Creek neighbourhood.

Despite being the first high-rise built in the massive Seylynn Village, no business has ever occupied the unit in the Compass building at 150-680 Seylynn Cres. When the entire site was rezoned in 2012, the council of the day limited the use of the unit to personal services, office, retail or take-out food – not a full-service, sit-down restaurant. The owners of the commercial space in the Compass building have been trying to introduce one since 2022.

If approved, the owners will construct more washrooms and a commercial kitchen, as well as a mezzanine inside the double-height space to accommodate more seating.

Because the available parking under the Compass building is almost entirely spoken for, the owners had to negotiate with the neighbouring Apex building to acquire restaurant parking spots there.


When district staff consulted residents in the area about the proposed change, some had concerns about increased traffic, restaurant odours and potential rodent problems. Others supported the idea of having a restaurant and community gathering place within walking distance, and the economic benefits that would bring.

The strata council at the Compass building has passed a resolution in support of the restaurant plan.

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/north-...in-long-vacant-lynn-creek-space-10797746