Cypress Mountain village open house ends today in West Vancouver

Today is the last day for people to review an proposal for a new mountainside village in West Vancouver below the Cypress Mountain ski resort.

A series of community open houses about the proposed Cypress Village, a new dense neighbourhood with restaurants and shops, has its final session on Friday from 4 p.m. PT to 8 p.m. at the West Vancouver Community Centre.

The idea is to concentrate density along Cypress Bowl Road in the area known as the Upper Lands, while preserving much of the mountainside, said the District of West Vancouver's senior community planner David Hawkins.

"One of the ways to preserve that mountainside is to concentrate future development into a village."

The exact location has yet to be determined, but Hawkins estimatesabout 121 hectaresof land on Hollyburn Mountain will be developed.

He said a working citizens' group that had put togethera study of the Upper Lands has suggested that any development should not go above 365 metres elevation. The group also wants to prevent housing sprawl.

Hawkins says Cypress Village would be similar to Whistler Village's look and feel, but it won't be centred around tourism and recreation.

"We know West Vancouver's mountainside is a destination, and the idea is the village might be a gateway to that, but it's not only that," he said. "The intent is for it to become a complete community."

To hear the full interview with David Hawkins, listen to the audio labelled: Mixed-use mountainside village considered in West Vancouver