North Vancouver residents in turf war with football club over proposed playing field

A proposed new sports field in North Vancouver is pitting soccer players against residents who don't want any more trees cut down in Lynnmour, a fast-growing neighbourhood near Lynn Creek.

The District of North Vancouver says it will decide in early 2018 whether to add a new sports field near an existing soccer pitch which requires clearing a forested area or simply upgrade the existing field.

Michelle Silver of the Inter River Community Associationopposesa second sports field.

"I want the forest to remain intact, non-negotiable," she said.

She says community members have been fighting since the early '90sto preserve the forest.

"This small forest in that kind ofdensifiedarea is anopportunity for people to be able to have access to a forested area within all of this urbanization."

Stuart Ince, president of the North Vancouver Football Club, islobbying for a secondfield. Hesaidthere are other places residents can go to enjoy a walk the woods.

"There is a significant walking area that runs on both sides of the river inBrigmanPark," Ince said. "I walk my dog down there all the time."

Ince says the club's 3,700 members don't have many choices for fields, especially compared to other clubs in the region.

"We have traditionally had the lowest ratio of field-to-players in the whole of the Lower Mainland," Ince said. "Until just recently we've only had four fields."

The club has started using the newly constructed FenBurdettStadium in North Vancouver, and a training pitch is expected to be built atKirkstonePark in the new year, but that is still not enough, Ince said.

He says a new field, especially oneside-by-side with the existing one, would allowmore kidsto develop their technical skills. It could also give the clubthe opportunity to host tournaments that would bring economic benefits to the district.

A total of 87 per cent of nearby residents prefer theoption of a single field, while 87 per cent of people living farther away in the District of North Vancouver support a second playing field, according to asurvey conducted this summer by the district, canvassing 1,288 people.

Concerns of nearby residents include lessnatural forest along withmore noise,trafficand bright lights.

Silver says thatas development continues in the neighbourhood, she seesmore people usingthe forested area for jogging, dog walking and biking.

"The beauty of that little area is that we don't have to get in our car and drive," she said. "We can actually walk from our homes and walk from the schools."