Nutterbug
02-17-2007, 10:20 AM
Police believe fires at two houses in the Dunbar area were deliberately set
Jonathan Fowlie
Vancouver sun
Friday, February 16, 2007
VANCOUVER - Police say they believe fires at two Dunbar homes early Wednesday morning were the result of a targeted arson, adding they will be looking into a long-simmering neighbourhood dispute as part of the investigation.
"I do believe it is a targeted attack," Det. Rodger Shepard of the Vancouver police arson squad said Thursday.
The houses, still under construction at West 38th and Highbury, have been strongly opposed by some in the neighbourhood ever since developer Raj Nijjar began building them on two 25-foot-wide subdivided parcels of land.
Shepard said he believes the attack was specific to the houses, because other nearby construction sites were untouched.
"There are other homes in the neighbourhood that are being constructed that have suffered no problems whatsoever," he said, pointing out a site immediately adjacent to the damaged ones was untouched.
"I am pretty certain it is a targeted attack, not that we have an arsonist running around in the neighbourhood," he said.
Shepard said he is aware of the dispute over the subdivided lot, and will be looking into it as part of the investigation.
"There has been a fair amount of controversy so of course that is going to lead me to look into that aspect of it," he said.
Shepard said a private investigator at the scene of the fires found something of interest on Thursday and called police. Investigators returned to the scene and collected evidence.
The fires, and the possibility of a link to the subdivision, have also raised questions about how residents in neighbourhoods like Dunbar will react to the City of Vancouver's plans for densification.
Peter Sven, who strongly opposed the projects at 38th and Highbury, said Thursday he did not want to speak about the fire, but was willing to explain his opposition to the project.
"The shape of the houses were totally inappropriate for this neighbourhood," he said.
Sven said he would not oppose densification, as long as it only takes place along main arterials, as is set out in the Dunbar city plan.
Vancouver officials plan to hold an event today to explain to the media how eco-density will change neighbourhoods. Public consultations on the eco-density issue begin March 3.
The issue is also under discussion in North Vancouver.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
Because some people's comfort and view from their large single family homes is sooo much more important than providing adequate housing for a growing population.
I'm glad to see the social pressures to densify is beginning to outweigh the political clout of these affluent and selfish west side bastards so much that they have to resort to these desperate measures.
Jonathan Fowlie
Vancouver sun
Friday, February 16, 2007
VANCOUVER - Police say they believe fires at two Dunbar homes early Wednesday morning were the result of a targeted arson, adding they will be looking into a long-simmering neighbourhood dispute as part of the investigation.
"I do believe it is a targeted attack," Det. Rodger Shepard of the Vancouver police arson squad said Thursday.
The houses, still under construction at West 38th and Highbury, have been strongly opposed by some in the neighbourhood ever since developer Raj Nijjar began building them on two 25-foot-wide subdivided parcels of land.
Shepard said he believes the attack was specific to the houses, because other nearby construction sites were untouched.
"There are other homes in the neighbourhood that are being constructed that have suffered no problems whatsoever," he said, pointing out a site immediately adjacent to the damaged ones was untouched.
"I am pretty certain it is a targeted attack, not that we have an arsonist running around in the neighbourhood," he said.
Shepard said he is aware of the dispute over the subdivided lot, and will be looking into it as part of the investigation.
"There has been a fair amount of controversy so of course that is going to lead me to look into that aspect of it," he said.
Shepard said a private investigator at the scene of the fires found something of interest on Thursday and called police. Investigators returned to the scene and collected evidence.
The fires, and the possibility of a link to the subdivision, have also raised questions about how residents in neighbourhoods like Dunbar will react to the City of Vancouver's plans for densification.
Peter Sven, who strongly opposed the projects at 38th and Highbury, said Thursday he did not want to speak about the fire, but was willing to explain his opposition to the project.
"The shape of the houses were totally inappropriate for this neighbourhood," he said.
Sven said he would not oppose densification, as long as it only takes place along main arterials, as is set out in the Dunbar city plan.
Vancouver officials plan to hold an event today to explain to the media how eco-density will change neighbourhoods. Public consultations on the eco-density issue begin March 3.
The issue is also under discussion in North Vancouver.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
Because some people's comfort and view from their large single family homes is sooo much more important than providing adequate housing for a growing population.
I'm glad to see the social pressures to densify is beginning to outweigh the political clout of these affluent and selfish west side bastards so much that they have to resort to these desperate measures.
