Aldergrove Your Hometown Community Newspaper for over 57 Years
| Thursday, May 12, 2016
Jose Canseco to go to Bat for Aldergrove!
Check our website daily for updates, breaking news and more: www.aldergrovestar.com
Page 3: Safety campaign to begin for 16 Avenue Heavy Hitter
Page 4
District to sell off unused school sites By MONIQUE TAMMINGA Aldergrove Star
KURT LANGMANN PHOTO
Aldergrove Minor Baseball’s T-Ball tykes learn how to hit the ball out of the park — and have fun!
Real estate hits new highs By JEFF NAGEL Aldergrove Star
Home buyers paid even higher prices for real estate in B.C.’s Lower Mainland in April. Data released by local real estate boards show the benchmark price of detached houses climbed by four to five per cent from March. The April benchmark prices of $1.4 million in Greater Vancouver (which excludes Surrey, North Delta and White Rock) and $776,000 in the Fraser Valley represent a one-year price gain of 30 per cent in both regions.
S StAr
The biggest one-month price gains were seen in Mission (up 7.6 per cent), South Burnaby (up 6.9 per cent) and South Surrey (up 6.6 per cent). The biggest price increase from one year ago was in Tsawwassen, up 41 per cent. Both real estate boards reported record high sales in April. Benchmark prices of townhouses were $353,300 across the Fraser Valley in April, up 17.6 per cent from a year ago, while apartments were up 15 per cent year-over-year to $219,900.
Langley board of education has voted to sell off four schools — and potentially a fifth — to bring itself closer to building a new high school in the ever-expanding Willoughby area. At its April 26 meeting, the board unanimously approved offering Bradshaw Elementary, County Line Elementary, Murrayville Elementary for sale, along with a vacant parcel of land on 32 Avenue. Trustees will vote at the May meeting whether to also put the former Lochiel school up for sale. The properties will likely be on the market by June. “We have put out an expression of interest already to hire a realty firm to tell us how to market the properties and how much they are worth,” said David Green, Langley School District secretary-treasurer. The properties are currently zoned institutional, but there is potential for developers to seek rezoning to allow for residential construction. The schools were closed over the years when populations shifted away from rural farming areas. Most likely the easiest to sell will be the Murrayville Elementary site, which sits on prime real estate along 48 Avenue. Green said the estimated cost to build a high school in Willoughby is $50 million. Last year, the Ministry of Education changed its policy and asked that each school district fund up to 50 per cent of any new school. Last week, the ministry responded promptly to a
‘project definition report’ the Langley School District sent regarding the proposed high school. “The fact that we received a response so quickly is encouraging,” said Green in a later interview. Trustee Megan Dykeman also said the quick response is a good sign. “The letter also said they would be contacting us in the near future,” said Dykeman. The number 1 priority of the district is to build a new high school to reduce overcrowding pressure at all the schools in the area. Mountain Secondary already has 16 portables and is expected to need two or three more by the 2017/18 year. Yorkson Middle school has portables and is currently requiring all parents of students entering Grade 6 to bring proof of address by mid-May to help address overcrowding there. The new Richard Bulpitt
Elementary will face catchment changes to handle being over-capacity. It is predicted to be the most popular K-5 in Langley. On Tuesday, the board also gave official notice that it intends to sell the Lochiel school site as well. That vote is expected to take place at the May meeting. Green said he couldn’t guess how much the properties would sell for and said that determination will be up to the realty firm. Given the complexity of marketing the four properties and the time involved, district staff has decided to take advantage of the services offered through the government’s “RAEG” (Release of Assets for Economic Generation) program. The chosen realty firm will provide marketing plans, recommended list prices, selling strategies, probable selling prices and commission information.
KURT LANGMANN PHOTO
The former County Line Elementary school at 264 Street and 62 Avenue is one of the sites Langley School District will be putting up for sale. The school site has been steadily rented out for film productions since its closure, and its park/playground and tennis courts are popular among local residents, however, it will be a highly desirable acreage for redevelopment as a country estate.
SERVING YOUR GLASS NEEDS SINCE 1977 • FULLY LICENSED AND INSURED • WE OFFER COURTESY CARS OR PICK-UP AND DELIVERY! WE SPECIALIZE IN: SAME DAY SERVICE! ONE • ICBC and Private Insurance Claims COMPLIMENTARY • Windshield Repairs and Replacements STONE CHIP REPAIR WITH • Shower Doors EVERY • Mirrors WINDSHIELD! and much more! 604.856.6550 • www.a1glass.ca • VISIT OUR SHOWROOM: 3060-275A Street, Aldergrove