CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF NORTH VANCOUVER )
CAPILANO COLLEGE
)

JOINT COMMITTEE

PURPOSE:

To Study and Recommend on a Site for Capilano College.

MEMBERS:

Mayor Ron Andrews, Aldermen Ken Fawcus and Arthur Eaton
Mayor Alex Forst
Council Chairman Bae Wallace, Dr. George Wilson and Peter Jones

BACKGROUND
Having carried out a Study (aided by Rhone & Iredale, Architects &
Planners), Capilano College Council, on August 10, 1970 presented to the
Mayor and Council of the District of North Vancouver a request for
support in acquiring the Cleveland Park Site.
The ensuing discussion and further meetings indicated the need for more
study to answer the questions raised by the District of North Vancouver.
To carry out this study, this joint committee was established.
9UESTIONS STUDIED
1.

"Did the College's Study fully appreciate the possibility of the
Interiver Site as a college site - particularly considering "A
Development Study of the Land between Lynn Creek and Indian Arm
in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia" prepared by
Grosvenor International Limited?"

The Grosvenor Study was made available to the joint committee and
studied by all members and also by Rhone & Iredale.
a.

The original "College Site Selection Study" by Rhone & Iredale
showed the Interiver Site to rate very high in "Site
Characteristics", "Capital Costs" and "Operating Costs".
Table 1 of that report).

(See

Subject only to a possibly extensive

- 2 -

interchange, it ;Jlso has good accessibility for private autos.

1.

b.

These assessments are supported by the January, 1969
"Capilano College Site Study" prepared by Mr. Martin Chesworth
and by the Grosvenor Study.

c.

The Grosvenor Study indicates a population growth in the area
east of the Lynn from 12,000 to 70,006 or more by the year 2000.
Predictions of growth are shown on Appendix A.
East of
Lynn Creek

Lynn to
Capilano

1970's

18,000

21,000

18,000 + 3500*.

1980's

28,000

27-32,000

3,000 + 5000*

West of
Capilano

During the 1970's growth West of Capilano will be greater than
growth east of Lynn Creek.

In the 1980's growth is expected

to accelerate east of the Lynn and slow down in West Vancouver.
Sometime in the 1980's, the Interiver Site will be central to a
population adequate for a college.

The Cleveland Park Site

is "central" now.
d.

The Grosvenor Study comments on Page 51, "The Interiver area
is a potential site for a regional college ".

The Study continues

on Pages 54 - 56 to describe a Regional Urban Centre serving not
only North Vancouver but North-east Vancouver and North-west
Burnaby.
While colleges at present have set fee schedules to require
out-of-district students to pay higher fees so that the local
taxpayer does not support them, it is desirable for students
to be able to attend the college most convenient to them
without financial obstacles and with an inter-college arrangement
for compensating payments from one district to another.

* An estimate of growth in the Howe Sound area.

•

- 3 -

Metropolitan Vancouver Colleges are working to this end.
A College in the Interiver or in the Seymour River area
may well serve the catchment area suggested for the proposed
Regional Urban Centre.
1.

e.

Further, it may be better to locate the college in the proposed
Regional Urban Centre than in the Interiver Site.

The Interiver

Site is also well-suited to residential or other development.
The College could assist the development of the Regional Centre
as a lively "city" with day and evening activities.

Close

association of the college and the Regional Centre would encourage
integration of the college as part of the community and inhibit
any tendency for the college to be isolated (as it could be on
either the Interiver or Cleveland Park Sites).
The conclusion drawn by the joint committee is that in the
1980's a comprehensive college campus located in the vicinity
of the Seymour River will be justified.

Location may be either

in the Interiver Site or as an urban development as part of the
proposed Regional Centre.

A correct decision as to location

will be easier when it is clear whether or not development of the
eastern part of North Vancouver follows the Grosvenor study's
recommendation.
2.

"Will a college campus at Cleveland Park create traffic problems on
Cap ilano Road and I or on De lb rooke?"
Access to this site will be via Capilano Road with secondary but
important access via Delbrooke.
In studying this question, the joint committee used a report
prepared by the District's Traffic Engineer, Mr. T. C. Gardner,
in November 1970.

•
- 4 -

2.

This report is believed to give low or somewhat outdated figures
, ~r high figures, in that it assumed:
a.

- 1.25 students per car.

(It is noted that at U.B.C. it is

2 students per car and at Simon Fraser about 3 students per car.
It is believed that public transport can be extended to this
site.
b.

Hitch-hiking and car pool use are increasing.)

-That all daytime students arrive during 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.,
whereas arrivals will be spread over several hours.

Nevertheless, using these assumptions, the report indicates:
i.

-If the area is developed as single family (RS3), Capilano Road
will require widening to 4 lanes when development is partially
complete.

ii. -Up to an enrollment of 2,000 FTE at Cleveland, existing roads
might handle all traffic.
iii.- For an enrollment of 2,000 FTE to 4,000, widening of
Capilano to 4 lanes will be necessary to adequately handle traffic.
iv. - I f enrollment went beyond 4,000 FTE, despite widening extensive
traffic problems appear likely.
3.

This raised the next question.

"If Cleveland Park Site is developed as the prime campus for'
Capilano College, will enrollment go beyond 4,000 FTE at this site?"
This question was referred back to the College Council and to
the Principal for study and consultation with Faculty and others
in the college.
The original Rhone & Iredale study was based on a site for 4,000 FTE.

•
- 5 -

Studies on cost per student indicate that as enrollment increases
up to about 3,000 FTE, costs per student reduce.

For enrollments

above 3,000 FTE, little saving in cost per student is apparent.
On November 3, 1970, Capilano CollPge Council adopted as policy,
4,000 as the maximum number of PTE on any one site.
Figure 2 is a summary of the projected enrollment.

It must be

emphasized that this is a projection, that education is changing
rapidly, and that Capilano College is committed to remaining
flexible to meet new needs, so that actual growth may vary widely
from this projection.
planning.

However, it is a rational basis for

It indicates:

a.

Use of present facilities until the core campus is built.

b.

A rapid growth of the Cleve land Park c.ore campus after its
construction to an enrollment of 4,700 bodies in 1982, (equals
3,600 FTE).

c.

Start of a satellite in the I.nteriver (or Seymour) area designed
to grow into a second primary self-contained campus.

4.

"Is 100 acres needed for_ a college _designed to accommodate 4,000 FTE?"
The answer is based on two approaches:
a.

Experience elsewhere.
Experience here is largely from the U.S.A.
California - general policy is 100 acres minimum with
trends towards 120 - 150 acres.

- 6 -

4.

a.

Michigan - "unequivocally advocate 100 acres site and would
like to see it larger".
State of New York - suburban college minimum 100 acres.
urban college minimum 40 acres,
and for a. suburban college of 4, 000 bodies
the minimum is 150 acres.
State of Washington - minimum site 100 acres unless very
high land costs justify high-rise
construction.

b.

Rational Formula
i.

Buildings.
From 70 to 130 sq. ft. are required for each FTE.
In the sites proposed, buildings should fit into the
landscape and retain natural environmental amenities.

A

floor space ratio of 0.5 is assumed:
Ground area:
min.

max.

ii.

4000 X 70
0.5

1

=

13 acres;

43560

4000 X 130
0.5

24 acres.

Parking.
For 4,000 FTE allow 2,500 cars at 100 per acre, requires 25 acres.
For "green belt" screens between lots allow

10 acres

Total for parking

35 acres

•
- 7 4.

b.

iii.

College recreation.
Spaces for general recreational use for college students
use almost exclusively, including small gymnasium,

(

squash courts etc.
iv.

5 - 10 acres

Fringe screen.
The college should not be built right against single
family areas but separated by an open space or public
perimeter zone guaranteeing a maximum accessibility
to the college.

v.

5 - 10 acres

Shared recreation and park.
In addition, park and recreational space including
some open playing fields should be included either
as the college site or as public park.
10 acres

Allow
vi.

Due to type of topography, a contingency allowance should
be made for unusable land.

5 - 10 acres

Summary.

Min.

Max.

24

i.

Buildings

13

ii.

Parking

35

35

iii.

College recreation

5

10

iv.

Screen

5

10

v.

Shared recreation and·park

*

10

vi

Contingency

5

10

r ....

63*

99

(

* based on adjacent land being used as shared recreation space.

•
- 8 Conclusion on size of site

''\

To avoid possible lar~e expense due to finding the site too
'

small, and to provide maximum flexibility, 100 acres is desirable.
However:
1.

Some of this area will be for shared or community use.

2.

College trends towards decentralization raise some question
as to the actualization of the need for the full area.

It Is Recommended That
1.

The 75 acre Greater Vancouver Water District land be tentatively
set as the college site.

2.

A planning study of the 100 acres be carried out by the District
of North Vancouver, with assistance financially and/a technically
from Capilano College to determine the best overall use of the
whole area.

3.

Until such time as (2) is complete the 25 acre District of North
Vancouver land be not developed.

November, 1970.

•

•
CAPILANO COLLEGE
ENROLLMENT FORECAST

FIGURE 2

fY~AR Tot~l- fTotal

I

Bodies 1

I

I!

I

~
I

0

P::i

i
---iI

774

:

1

FTE

i

j

!

617
704

i

:
'

!

Bodies

- -

t

i'

--r

~~

.

I

i

-

'

:

r Lynn _ Deep ; Lower Satellites
--rra·-r_s_o_n--.-"<T""M•a..,..t..-h-le_r_s_!""'H.--o_r_s_e..,...._-_....,,lnosr-q-u_a_m-.i-s...-h--,-1-,.G.....i~bsons
Valley Cove 'Lonsdale Graham Pk Royal!shoe Bay
I
I
I
1

:>. ...~

!

I

I

I

'

I

I

I

0'1....-1

,.....,

I

I

I

-

I

I

I

Cl)

'"'

'""

,...

'"'

----L-£-~-·

30

i

i

30

300

25
30

1100
i

- - - - - ; _____ _j -

I
- - ~ - ___________ _._____ - - - -

'

,

I

I

!

I
I

1973

2450

1910

I

.-----,,

1976

4150

3110

;

3174

350

Ej 1979

5450

3924

I

4051

700

i
!

6650

459o

i

4725

I

1700

1
I

7850

. 5350

I:

I
4800__j_

2800

z

I

,
I

I

956

---· -+-------- -----

_.__

774

.

,.OCf.l•

~ ~ ~

1030

I
-+----

-

i Se~_f _c~I1t~in~~~~~~-, ___
t-clevelana I
Seymour
Se~mour
I
i He1ghts

I

! 1250

n

I

'

l 976

~ 11%9
:1970

.

!

0 ,1968
p::

!

L

0

u

~

8p:: 1982
~

1985

1 --NOTES:

I!

_!_ _____ _

___ LI ___ _ -

.

130

120
I

425

60

1

55 .

1960

I

I

100

i!

I

120

150

r

210

30

75

I

190

50

180

150

I

3oo

75

100

i 45

280

200

240

I 15o

I

4oo

120

120

!

370

300

300

450

145

140

I 120

.

i

i

I
150

;

_----J._-"---___:'~ --~J- ---

!

r

!

I

1

l

i

80

L __ l

1.

This projection will be modified as trends indicate by records.

2.

The sum of "bodies" in all locations exceeds total "bodies" because some attend classes at more than one locatio:::1.

3.

FTE is Full-Time Equivalent Student.

November, 1970

,.