Mark Chevalier, Vice President of the Hamilton Heights Neighbourhood Association spoke during the public section of the District #44 School Board Meeting on behalf of the area residents. Noted below is his speech:

****************************************************

Good Evening School Board:

I am Vice President of the Hamilton Heights Neighbourhood Association.

The Lucas Centre site is directly within our community.

The majority of our community believe that public school lands should retain in public ownership and not be sold.

We were very disappointed that lease or community use options were not discussed by the School Board or Dialog as options, at community meetings, despite assurances that they would be considered.

A running track option was added late in the process. While the other options instead retained the grass field, which in any event is required by the City’s draft OCP.

Also, the report states that the site was to be reviewed partly on the basis of being a “Place for Learning” …. but no educational / learning use for the site has been presented in any way, at any open house, or in the report.

The School Board and Dialog options were primarily driven by residential re-zoning to generate real estate sales revenue.

We welcome tonight’s motion that the School Board review:
“… alternative community uses for the Lucas Centre lands … prior to the City Special Study”.

We request that the School Board address these concerns as the process moves forward.

************************************************************************************

Ultimately, the motion failed to pass. Once again, money and not public concerns are driving the decisions…with implications that the area and City residents will have to bear the brunt of.

The final report is complete and ready to be delivered to the School Board by the consultants. Not that we should be surprised – but the conclusions for the Lucas Centre continue to be focused on garnering as much money for the School Board as possible and be damned about the community and resident’s opinions.

The two “final” viable options from the consultant’s perspective are developments that encompass 28,500 m2 (Option 1) or 21,000 m2 (Option 2) with 6 story buildings, townhomes and single family dwellings that would house approximately 300 family units.  To see the complete report, click here and scroll down to page 107

Traffic concerns are a major issue in the area and the consultant’s analysis, according to their study, concludes that any development that requires 300 or less cars will not affect the current traffic situation significantly. The study, as with most, is based upon limited onsite analysis, averaged daily numbers and no physical personal experience at peak times.

The Hamilton Heights Neighbourhood Association does not support either of these options and is disappointed that the only principle / concept that was used to frame the analysis was the “Leverage for learning” guideline (realizing economic value from surplus land to reinvest in school infrastructure)…so once again, it is all about the money!

Please be aware that thefts from cars has spiked on the North Shore as of late. The RCMP is working diligently to resolve the issue, however please ensure that your car is locked and all valuables have been removed. The RCMP has asked that you report any incidents  – thefts as well as just any rummaging through your car.  For more details about the April crime statistics please review the map. Thanks to our great Block Watch group in the area that look out for all of us!

April 2014 Maps

Article By Janet Steffenhagen

B.C. school districts are disposing of surplus property at an unprecedented rate as they wrestle with declining student numbers, shifting populations and tight budgets. According to B.C.’s Finance Ministry, 18 school properties around the province were sold during the last 12 months. A similar number are still on the market, awaiting buyers or long-term lessees.

North Vancouver, with its high cost of housing, has been particularly hard hit by demographic changes. The number of students attending public schools has dipped by about 15% since 2001, and that’s prompted the district to declare 10 former schools and a curriculum centre as surplus.

Of those, two sales are in the process of being finalized: a $6.4 million bid by MorningstarDevelopment Ltd., a Polygon affiliate, for Monterey elementary and one for $5 million from Anthem Properties for Ridgeway annex. Continue Reading