District of West Vancouver has issued bylaw contravention notices to a contractor in Horseshoe Bay for keeping the strobe lights on and shining towards the nearby retirement home.
West has issued two bylaw notices to the Sewell’s Landing contractor after reviewing the photos submitted by concerned citizens that show lights shining towards 6645 Nelson Avenue, well after they should have been switched off.
The action by West Van bylaw comes after residents complained that they have been exposed to the light pollution for the last two years.
“The elderly residence of Libby Lodge in Horseshoe Bay has been exposed to massive amounts of light pollution from our neighbor’s contractor for over two years. The bylaws department have done nothing that stops the contractors disgusting and disrespectful behavior,” said the resident who wrote the letter to the district. The district doesn’t provide the names of those who write to the municipality.
“I am confident that the contractor can light up what they need lite up without any floodlights aiming directly into our apartments. This has been explained to bylaws repeatedly. So my question is why are bylaws not able to get the simplest request done?”
The resident sent pictures of the lights switched on at night to the bylaw, claiming there were several pictures taken over the past two years.
“The work is going to take at least two more years. Please instruct bylaws to get the contractor to redirect the light fixtures and tone down the night light intensity. Please stop this extremely disrupting and disrespectful behavior,” the resident wrote.
Bylaw officers initially met the site supervisor in October and pointed out that the lights should be shut off at the end of the work day. The official advised the contactor use a light timer, but the contractor said those could be bypassed and said that lights will be shut off at the end of work day.
On November 14, however, bylaw officer attended the site after residents complained again. An officer attended the site and confirmed two unshielded floodlights were left on at the site shining into the properties at 6645 Nelson Avenue causing a nuisance.
The property owner as well as contractor were contacted and advised of the contravention and issued a Bylaw Notice for fail to shield or deflect outdoor light.
Four days later, bylaw issued yet another notice for contravention.
Kasia Chase, a senior bylaw officer with District of West Vancouver, told residents the contractor has promised to work with the Bylaw and Licensing Department to bring the lighting on site into compliance with the Good Neighbour Bylaw.
Elizabeth James says
So – Senior bylaw officer “Kasia Chase … told residents the [Sewells Landing] contractor has promised to work with the Bylaw and Licensing Department to bring the lighting on site into compliance with the Good Neighbour Bylaw.”
Developers across the Shore get away with far too much community disruption. They seem to think that, once a project has been approved, they are free to take over neighbourhoods and do as they damn well please.
What “work with the Bylaw and Licensing Dept.,” is there to do for gosh sakes? All that’s required is a firm directive from Ms. Chase, “Turn off the lights at (whatever the hour is). If you fail to do so, a fine of $?? will be imposed immediately and for every day thereafter that they are left on.”
As with so many other rules enacted throughout the North Shore, there is absolutely no point to wasting council’s time drafting bylaws if municipalities fail to enforce them.
Elizabeth James
North Vancouver
Gale Leitch says
“There is no point to wasting council’s time drafting bylaws… ” The waste is the wasted votes of West Vancouver residents – people who live here now – who voted for a mayor who is pro-developer and doesn’t care about current residents. The waste is residents who voted for a mayor who took campaign money from real estate development companies like Grosvenor. Nobody has wasted council’s time. The Good Neighbour Bylaw has been in existence for years. Council doesn’t draft bylaws. West Vancouver City Hall has lawyers to draft these bylaws. Our taxes pay for it. Don’t feel sorry for our useless mayor and council! All they do all day long is work for developers. They don’t do anything for us!
Brent Dean says
I agree, it’s a free for all with developers. Roads closed, lanes blocked for months or years in some cases. Plus sidewalks and trails closed all over the North Shore.
Gale Leitch says
Grosvenor is walking all over us, thanks to our mayor, Mary-Ann Booth. And she’s going to allow other developers to walk all over us too. Our tax money is funding our mayor working for developers. Almost all of every council meeting is taken up by discussions about developments – not about what mayor and council can do to improve our lives. West Vancouver’s road repairs take months to complete. Everything takes forever! Try to get an inspector for your renovations! All our inspectors are busy inspecting developments. They don’t care about taxpayers! It’s all about the developers. So our tax money is funding development and developers. How do you all feel about that?
We in Ambleside had problems with the Grosvenor development here. It’s not surprising that the Grosvenor development in Horseshoe Bay is disrespecting residents. Grosvenor doesn’t care. Our mayor doesn’t care. Who is taking care of West Vancouver residents? Nobody.
How does everyone who voted for this mayor feel about this? Well, you should be ashamed of yourselves.
I apologize for these long messages, but there is something very wrong with WV City Hall. Two years… it took two years for the WV Bylaw Department to fine Grosvenor, and how much is that fine? Maybe $100? Wow! A multi-billion dollar construction company and development company having to pay a $100 fine. Can we impeach a mayor for dereliction of duty?
Gale Leitch says
West Vancouver’s current mayor’s priority seems to be allowing rampant development of West Vancouver on a scale never seen before. Mayor Booth is a disgusting human being with absolutely no conscience. What about existing residents? The Grosvenor development between 13th and 14th on Marine Drive invaded our neighbourhood. We saw construction workers – all male – exhibiting behaviour such as peeing in alleys and noisy groups making their way to the construction site that was uncivilized, inconsiderate, backwards, and completely oblivious to residents. TWO YEARS MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND THE BYLAW DEPARTMENT DID NOTHING ABOUT THE LIGHT POLLUTION IN HORSESHOE BAY DISTURBING RESIDENTS AT LIBBY’S. Disgusting! What are we paying property taxes for? I hate developers. They are only in it for profit. A bylaw fine is 2 cents to them. They don’t care. And neither does Mayor Booth. She is despicable. She doesn’t care one iota about the residents who put her into office. She should be kicked out.
Elizabeth James says
Nothing in my comment should be construed as feeling sorry for Council! The waste is of the taxpayer dollars lost during council’s debate of bylaws they do not or cannot enforce.
E.