A cheerleading gym has applied for a three-year Temporary Use Permit (TUP) to expand its cheerleading and tumbling facility in the Marine-Hamilton neighbourhood of the City of North Vancouver. CNV council will discuss the proposal by Absolute Cheer & Tumbling Ltd. at a council meeting on May 5.
The business at 758 Harbourside Drive operates in a 497-square-metre space in a three-storey industrial building in the city’s southwest corner. Under existing zoning regulations, recreational uses such as Absolute Cheer are permitted but limited to a maximum of 500 square metres. The company now requests a temporary increase in allowable space to 908 square metres.
The permit would allow the gym to continue operations without structural changes or renovations. According to the applicant, 40% of the additional 411 square metres would be used for expanded recreational activity, while the remaining 60% would support merchandise manufacturing, athlete waiting areas, and administrative offices.
The City’s planning staff support the application, noting that the proposed expansion aligns with the intent of the zoning and the Official Community Plan’s Mixed-Employment designation. This land use designation allows for partial commercial uses within industrial zones and supports community-serving amenities like recreation. The applicant is interested in reapplying for another three years—the maximum duration permitted under city regulations.
Owner Sonja Aquila says the facility has operated without incident for eight years, with no complaints regarding traffic or parking. She described the location as ideally suited for industrial and commercial activity, noting that the building’s high ceilings and open warehouse design work well for cheer and gymnastics instruction.
City staff noted that such facilities typically require significant vertical clearance and unobstructed floor space, making industrial sites like this an attractive fit. The temporary expansion, they added, would allow the business to continue growing while it searches for a longer-term location solution.
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