Eagles’ Shooter Soars
THURSDAY February 27, 2014 • www.langleytimes.com NEWS Parking Problems Addressed
6
BUSINESS Pancakes for Kids
PAGE 32
30
Golden Boy
Coulter Berry debate resumes
Court ruling comes with $23 million price tag for district
TOWNSHIP COUNCIL SENDS REVISED PROPOSAL FOR BUILDING TO PUBLIC HEARING DAN FERGUSON Times Reporter
The debate over the revised Coulter Berry building proposal began in front of a nearly-full Township council chambers Monday night. More than 100 people, most of them opposed to the building, were present when a majority of councillors voted to send D AV ID the new D AV IS design to a public hearing on Monday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in council chambers. The vote to give the proposed project and re-zoning initial approval before it goes to a public hearing was passed 7-2, with Councillors David Davis and Bob Long opposed. Davis said he likes the building, but not in Fort Langley, and he doesn’t like “tailor-making” the three proposed bylaws that would re-zone the site to allow a three-storey
building and alter the Fort Langley Building Facade Design Guidelines to say they are there to “assist but not bind” council. “Why are we changing three bylaws to suit this one development?” Davis asked, generating applause from the audience and a call for order from Mayor Jack Froese. “This is a debate among council, not entertainment for you,” Froese said. Councillor Bob Long said the project should be sent back to the developer to trim its height at the corner of Mavis and Glover, where the building is highest. “It’s too big, too tall, and it’s too bulky,” Long said. Other council members rejected the suggestion, with Councillor Steve Ferguson calling it “out of order” and Councillor Grant Ward saying “this has to get off the ground.” It will be the second time the controversial Fort Langley development at the corner of Glover Road and Mavis Avenue has come up for approval. The first time, opponents convinced a B.C. Supreme Court judge to overturn the approval in October.
Step Happy with
Continued Page 4
34
SPORTS
MONIQUE TA MMING A Time s Re po rte r
D A N FE R GUS ON Langley Time s
Pedestrians walk through the sidewalk scaffolding that surrounds the excavated Coulter Berry site in Fort Langley. At Monday’s meeting, Councillor Bob Long said a revised Coulter Berry building should be revised again to reduce its height. He was in the minority, with the majority of council voting to send the proposal to a public hearing.
Spring Styles Now Arriving
CERTIFIED Diamonds GH-SI Langley Diamond Store
Willowbrook Shopping Centre #313 19705 Fraser Hwy. 604-533-9200
It would cost the Langley School District $23 million in this current school year should class sizes and composition be restored to 2002 levels as per the Supreme Court ruling, said Superintendent Suzanne Hoffman. “The district was asked to analyze the cost of the court ruling, to provide logistics and how those logistics would impact our budget,” said Hoffman at Tuesday night’s board of education meeting. “We spent a very long weekend compiling the report where we looked at ratios of teacher librarians to be hired, teacher ratios, space in schools to accommodate new classrooms and would that impact our closed schools.” The class size formula used in 2002 would require some current classes to be split up, requiring more classrooms.
604.539.7720
#370-20202 66th Ave, Langley
exceljewellers.com
1.00ct 0.50ct
FROM $5,995 FROM $1,479
Continued Page 4