Let Chef Li do the cooking so you can relax.
Let Chef Li do the cooking so you can relax.
North Vancouver District Council is on the hot seat as it ponders a report describing options for the implementation of the Official Community Plan (OCP) in Lynn Valley.
The report was presented at a regular council meeting on September 23, in front of a gallery of citizens representing a wide range of opinions.
The OCP, which was passed in June 2011, projects the addition of up to 5,000 people in Lynn Valley over the next two decades, and opens the door to the development of a range of low to higher-density housing options within the town centre. In September 2012, Bosa Developments accordingly submitted a preliminary application that included a 22-storey tower in its proposed redevelopment of its shopping centre property.
The resulting controversy over building heights, traffic and increased density meant everyone went back to the drawing board – including the District, which launched extended public education and feedback events in mid-2013.
The results of that feedback are now encapsulated in the recent Golder Associates report, which is available on North Vancouver District’s Identity website.
Perhaps unfortunately for council members, the report notes that there is no clear consensus amongst local residents as regards to the preferred maximum building height. While many have stated their preference for no change to the existing neighbourhood, or the inclusion of buildings that are no taller than five storeys in height, one method of calculating the feedback indicated that the 12- and 16-storey building options led in popularity.
If that’s the case, it’s happy news for Mark Sager, who was hired by Bosa Developments to collect public feedback and work with a new architect to create a proposal in keeping with what residents say they want to see in Lynn Valley. Sager unveiled the new drawings in front of a crowd of approximately 200 residents at Lynn Valley Mall on September 12. All audience comments at that event were supportive of the suggested redevelopment proposal, but Bosa Developments will not be submitting a preliminary application to the District until Council chooses between the options presented in the Sept. 23rd report.
Council deferred the vote after requesting that staff ‘expediently’ investigate the comparative economic impacts of choosing a five-storey height maximum over the other option, which allows for five through eight storeys, with the option of allowing for exceptions of up to 16 storeys in the town core.
Bosa’s revamped drawings include two 12-storey buildings and a completely redeveloped interior and exterior shopping centre. They can be viewed in the Bosa storefront in Lynn Valley Mall, in the former pet store premises, from noon to 6 p.m. every day except Sundays.
Kevin Li has lived in many places – northern China, Richmond, Burnaby and finally North Vancouver – but wherever he is, he’s always at home in the kitchen.
Kevin and his wife Cindy Feng are the proud owners of the Wonderful Szechuan Restaurant, which has opened its door in the Ross Road Plaza after two months of renovation. Formerly a Greek restaurant, the premises now glow with a warm Asian ambience, with mocha-coloured walls and gleaming wooden floors.
They bring to the Wonderful Szechuan Restaurant two decades of experience – Kevin was a chef for 10 years in China, and the couple subsequently owned a restaurant in North Vancouver – and LynnValleyLife was fortunate enough to get a sneak preview of their labours the day before they started serving customers. (While the restaurant is open now, a grand opening is planned for October 2.)
We had the chance not only to tour the sparkling premises, but to meet the couple’s children, William and Vicky, and learn a bit about the family’s goals for the restaurant.
Cindy explained that Szechuan cuisine is a branch of “Chinese food” that emerged from northern China. Cantonese food, which is served by most North Vancouver Chinese food restaurants, hails from the south. While many of the dishes are the same, Szechuan cooks are known for kicking up many of their recipes with the addition of spices.
However, that doesn’t mean that all the dishes are hot and spicy – there’s a full range, and you’ll know which is which by the little chili icons next to the menu items. The couple knows that many people, especially children, prefer milder seasoning, so there is something for everyone in the family.
We were able to watch Chef Li at work in the kitchen, and witness the skilful transformation of fresh meat and vegetables into a range of steaming, colourful – and perfectly seasoned – dishes.
We sampled their boneless sweet-and-sour pork, shrimp fried rice, hot and sour soup, pepper chicken on dry spinach, and sauteed vegetables. Each was beautifully presented, fresh-tasting and delicious, and quite an improvement from the eating-out-of-tinfoil-containers Chinese food we usually experience at home.
We are happy to recommend this new establishment to our Lynn Valley neighbours, and wish Kevin and Cindy every success in a location that hasn’t always proved an easy one for restaurateurs.
They invite their guests to dine in for a nice evening out, or take advantage of free delivery and order from the take-out menu for a relaxing evening at home. Prices are comparable with other local Chinese food restaurants (dinner for four = $47.95), and there are a wide selection of daily $7.95 lunch specials. To learn more about Kevin and Cindy, read their merchant profile on our site.
Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., seven days a week, at 1238 Ross Rd., North Vancouver. Call 604-988-9927 for information and delivery.
You can bat for the home team by becoming a member of the historic Lynn Valley Little League, which has been playing ball for over 50 years.
Registration for the league, which is newly headed by president Jamie Bassett, is open now and will continue to December 1 (or February 28 for the T-ball and Rookie crowd). Click here for online registration information, or download this PDF form. If you’re anywhere between five and 18 years old, there’s a team for you!
While you’re on the league website, you can check out their handsome logo wear – and some of the archived photos on their ‘History’ page. You may see your 20-years-younger self staring back at you!
If you have any questions, please contact Michael Ferriera at [email protected].
Miss Mollie Nye herself couldn’t have asked for a more pleasant celebration of the 100th birthday of the house her family built on Lynn Valley Road in 1913.
House staff and volunteers from the Lynn Valley Services Society, which operates the house on behalf of the community, brought together model train engineers, bakers, crafters, musicians and local organizations and businesses to put on a party on Saturday, Sept. 21 that featured a tea, traditional fall fair, community booths and a model train display.
It’s been fantastic travelling around Lynn Valley and seeing more and more sunflower patches out in full bloom. Perhaps they are showing up more now, thanks to the backdrop of our recent grey weather!
Some of our own flowers are still to emerge, and others are drooping. But just because their petals may no longer be perky, don’t forget that your sunflowers are far from finished. For many creatures, the best is yet to come!
About 200 people came out on Thursday, Sept. 12 to an informal presentation that brought residents up to date on the evolving proposals for the Lynn Valley Mall of the future.
While host Mark Sager, who is handling public consultation and overseeing the new designs on behalf of mall owner Bosa Developments, emphasized that the evening was not a formal hearing or open house, it did give attendees a peek at what may be coming down the pipe.
(Mark said that Bosa Developments has “total, complete respect for the process” and won’t be submitting a preliminary application until North Vancouver District votes on the manner in which the Official Community Plan (OCP) will be implemented in Lynn Valley. Click here for our post explaining the process that takes place once an official application has been made to the District.)
The evening started with a talk and slide presentation that provided a good history of the process, including Mark Sager’s own belief that Bosa Developments’s original proposal, which included a 22-storey building, was not a good fit for Lynn Valley. He explained that the design was based on the OCP’s allowed Floor Space Ratio (FSR) of 3.5, meaning that for every square foot of land one owns, 3.5 square feet can be built on top of it.
Mark showed computer renditions of what a 3.5 FSR would look like if the Bosa property was developed with the goal of keeping buildings as low as possible. The result, shown on the screen, was shoulder-to-shoulder buildings built out to the sidewalk, each several storeys high. This, Mark indicated, was untenable and a design disaster.
Instead, company owner Nat Bosa agreed to take an economic hit and voluntarily drop the FSR to 2.5, which allows for building height to remain moderate, but still leaves room for plazas, green space and community amenities. (The current mall, by comparison, has a 1.75 FSR.)
Mark then introduced renderings of the new design, and explained some of the major changes that would ensue if it, or something similar, was approved. Important to note is that the proposed redevelopment under discussion would encompass the Zellers area, the old library, and the adjacent concrete parking garage. If passed, Bosa would purchase the old library site from North Vancouver District in a multi-million deal, money which the DNV would use to help pay off costs of constructing the new library.
Inspiring the design is a mountain village look that has outward-facing retail outlets at street level, which terrace back into higher elevations, including two 12-storey residential buildings. On top of this retail “podium” would be acres of usable green space for the building residents, while two new plazas at street level would provide gathering space for community residents.
A new, landscaped high street would connect 27th Street (where one currently enters the Safeway/Zellers parking lot) with Lynn Valley Road, while another new throughway would travel along the back of the current mall, providing a better connection from 27th to the new library and likely housing a number of ‘live/work’ studios for home-based businesses such as accountants, notaries public, etc. Parking for the redeveloped area would be underground.
The development would include approximately 379 living units, to be built over a five-year period, with the needs of Lynn Valley downsizers and younger families in mind. A 6,000 square foot community space would be included as well, for North Vancouver District to consider for uses such as a community theatre or North Shore Disability Resource programs.
This development would see a flagship Save-On-Foods go into the old Zellers location, while Shopper Drug Mart would move to the current Save-On space. The rest of the existing mall, he explained, would retain the same footprint and parking, but have a complete interior/exterior makeover, with more a more interactive, engaging street presence. He is looking at creative uses for the existing huge, flat roof, and hopes the 175,000 square feet can be transformed into a green roof or other attractive feature. And, to the delight of pedestrians everywhere, the renovation will ensure a better connection between the mall and Lynn Valley Village.
Mark is planning for a climbing wall to be situated in the mall, and hopes that existing tenants will be joined by such additions as good family restaurants and a cross-fit gym.
The floor was opened up to a number of questions and comments, all of which were supportive of the revitalization project. Linda Findlay, 25-year resident of Lynn Valley, had brought a prepared address.
“We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to live here,” she said, “Growth in our community is natural, and not any one group is going to get everything they want [in the design plans.]” Given the controversy that has surrounded some aspects of the project, she said “I would like to thank you and Nat for not giving up on Lynn Valley.”
Michael Edwards, a former president of the Lynn Valley Community Association, recalled previous occasions in which the LVCA had spoken against developments, some of which were later approved. “It wasn’t such a shocker after all,” he said of the McDonalds going into Lynn Valley, prompting laughter from the crowd. He also referred to the number of failed attempts at Lynn Valley Centre revitalization over the years, and said that Bosa’s current sketches “are the most beautiful plan [he’s] ever seen.” He did not want to see “months and months of work for naught,” and emphasized that “we have no right to stop young families from living here.”
Doug Curran commented that he had been working with people in the Lower Capilano neighbourhood to help residents understand and envision the design possibilities that could be expressed within a higher density allowance. He said that he has attended a number of meetings and listened to residents concerned by the prospect of higher buildings in Lynn Valley, and notes that he has “heard statements without foundation, without logic, and prejudicial to the future wellbeing of Lynn Valley.” He encouraged residents of all persuasions to get more engaged and informed about the process.
Some residents commented that the current mall is ‘dying,’ and Mark agreed it was a struggle to get new tenants with the existing set-up. He says the tenant businesses rue the fact that the parking lot is often full – discouraging their customers – while the mall itself is empty. Mark said his team has spent a number of hours out in the lot, talking to people parking there, and finding that it is sometimes being used as a park-and-ride, and often used for people going only to Lynn Valley Village. The latter group, he said, commonly expressed the feeling that they did not like the design of the stairwells in the Village’s underground parking, so the mall design team has taken that into account and has allowed for more open, inviting stairwells in their own redevelopment design.
After the discussion, a number of sketches were unveiled and people circulated to look at the various views and floor plans, ask more questions, fill out feedback forms and, if they chose, to add their name to a petition lending support to the revitalization. If people do want to see change, Mark emphasized, it is important for them to express their opinions to North Vancouver District Council.
Mark will be re-opening his former storefront in the old pet store premises across from CIBC, so people can drop in to have a closer look at the designs and continue to make suggestions. Also in the works is a website for the same purpose. LynnValleyLife will publicize further details, and a variety of design sketches, as they are made available.
– Peggy Trendell-Jensen, editor
It was swing-your-partner time Friday night as the District of North Vancouver hosted a dinner and barn dance to thank the many volunteers who take part in the muncipality’s outdoor programs.
Maplewood Farm helpers, parks and trails workers, Adopt a Street volunteers and others were all in attendance at Maplewood Farm to hear a few speeches and dance to the tunes of a fiddle band headed by newly retired DNV sign-maker extraordinaire, Cam Stewart. A special guest in attendance was former parks director Dirk Oostindie, whose energy and vision resulted in the creation of Maplewood Farm as a municipal park.
Trail and Habitat co-ordinator Graham Knell spoke about the huge impact volunteers have on our local landscape, both those who take part in the DNV outdoors programs as well as people in the wider community who gather armies of volunteers to work on neighbourhood parks clean-ups, salmon-enhancement projects, trail building and more.
It was a HUGE list of groups he named – way to go, North Van! – and he gave special mention to the Lynn Valley folks who worked with the District to clean up Doran Park this past year. He was very proud to report that 49 one-tonne trucks of invasive plants were carted away as a result of all their labour (and a tip of the hat was also given to the visiting American navy cadets who literally marched down the street to help out!)
If you’d like an invite to next year’s hoedown (and who wouldn’t, we ask?) just get on board with one of the many District outdoor programs. Graham says he’s got the best job ever – he’s always surrounded by smiling volunteers who love what they do! Contact details and more info are here.
It’s hard to believe, but our local Starbucks coffee shop has been in business for 20 years, and LynnValleyLife was fortunate enough to be there to celebrate the occasion.
Friday, September 13 was anything but unlucky for people who were in the shop just after 11 a.m. They were treated to a cake-cutting, a mini coffee ‘tasting’ tutorial, and a generally festive atmosphere.
More than that, however, it was lovely to hear a Lynn Valley Lions member, Mayor Richard Walton, and building owner Trudy Duller speak so warmly about the staff’s commitment to community service and the important role Starbucks has played in the neighbourhood.
That commitment was underscored by Dionne Richmond, who has been manager of the Lynn Valley Starbucks for the past six months. She encouraged groups and individuals to approach with community requests, saying she loves to get on board. “If you want us, we’re here,” she emphasized.
Local residents may not know that the Starbucks building has been owned by Trudy and Karl Duller, former owners of the Family Gourmet Deli in the mall, for more than two decades. In her short talk, Trudy laughed at herself for being a little tearful at the happy occasion, but said how satisfying it was for her to have such community-minded tenants.
She and the mayor later shared a laugh, too, recollecting that Richard Walton had originally wanted to lease the space for a business venture in his pre-mayoral days. Now, he told the guests, he is just glad to have Starbucks shops on hand to send people happy on their way to work in the morning, and complimented them on their high standard of customer service.
Trudy, who recalls early Starbucks founder Howard Schultz being present at the Lynn Valley grand opening two decades ago, says another celebration will happen next year, when Pizza Hut will be marking its own 20-year anniversary in our small town. Like we said at the beginning – time flies!
Before Mollie Nye bequeathed her home to the District of North Vancouver, the Lynn Valley schoolteacher could often be found canning the harvest from her vast garden or baking pies in her small kitchen. That pioneering creativity will be brought back to life as Mollie Nye House celebrates its centennial with a Saturday, September 21 event that will include an old-fashioned fall fair.
The craftsman-style house, built for Mollie’s parents Jack and Olive in 1913, will be the belle of the ball from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., surrounded by people in vintage costume, a model train display, community booths and family activities. Featured will be a traditional fall fair competition in which local residents are invited to become friendly rivals for baking and crafts honours.
Prizes will also be awarded on that day to the winners of the neighbourhood’s Project Sunflower campaign, for people who have grown the tallest or most sunflowers.
Mollie Nye House is operated by the Lynn Valley Services Society, and is home to the Lynn Valley Community Association and Lynn Valley Seniors Association. It houses a variety of programs for all ages.
The creation of Lynn Valley Services Society (LVSS) in 2012 was the evolution of a 10-year partnership between Lynn Valley Seniors Association and Lynn Valley Community Association with the District of North Vancouver.
In 2003, both associations undertook to manage the day-to-day operations of the Nye House on behalf of the District. This was done through the provision of seniors’ programs during the weekdays, with other community use and rentals on evenings and weekends. These same associations now work together to bring the community in to Mollie Nye’s house.
Says operations manager Helen Wait: “In the future, LVSS will continue to provide a well-managed centre that welcomes the whole community every day. As a registered charity and community services society, LVSS looks forward to working with the District of North Vancouver as well as other groups and facilities in Lynn Valley.”
For more information on the house, its programs, and the upcoming centennial event, visit the Mollie Nye House website.