Vancouver’s development permit board approved a four-storey condo building Monday that would demolish the Varsity Ridge bowling alley, but not before chiding Cressey Developments for a lack of community consultation and denying the project a fifth floor.

Earlier this month over 50 avid bowlers of all ages spoke out against the project.

Hani Lammam, vice-president of Cressey’s development and acquisitions, told The Sun that the company would reconfigure its plans and shrink the building to four floors. He said the bowling alley could not be saved because underground parking was needed for condo residents and customers of a proposed grocery store.

Lammam estimated a new 20,000-square-feet bowling alley would cost about $6 million to build and accommodating the existing 62-year-old structure is unfeasible.

“This bowling centre does not have a sponsor, so nobody wants to foot the bill for it,” Lammam said. “The citizens aren’t the operators, and the operator does not wish to reinvest.”

Cressey had originally planned 52 condos ranging in size from 619 to 1,708 sq. ft. Cressey paid $15.5 million to buy the site in June 2011. Cressey hopes to break ground on the development in a year, and the project would take 18 to 20 months to build.

The bowling alley’s owner, Ken Hayden, estimated it would cost about $2 million to replace the 15-lane facility, which was built in 1950. Hayden has been in the bowling alley business since 1976, and has operated Varsity Ridge since 1981. He says about 2,000 people bowl there each week, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Mel Lehan, the 68-year-old organizer of a pro-bowling alley protest earlier this month, lamented that the Ridge alley could not be saved, but was heartened by the board’s denial of the developer’s initial proposal of five storeys.

“They got a slap on the wrist today from the development permit board and they were told this wasn’t neighbourly — they hadn’t earned the right to have a fifth story,” he said. “(The protesters) basically showed that bowling in the 21st Century is actually an important social, recreational and physical need of a community.”

Alley owner Hayden is working on an alternative plan if Varsity Ridge gets demolished.

“We’re going to talking to the parks department in the city about maybe building a city-owned bowling centre,” said Hayden.

“They did that in Victoria, because Victoria didn’t have a bowling centre any more. So the city of Langford built one, a 20-lane centre, and it’s been very successful. Based on their experience, the Vancouver people are interested, but we’ll see how this goes.”

Green party Coun. Adriane Carr said she has been following Cressey’s proposals and asked council to incorporate bowling into its list of recreational facilities and activities supported in its upcoming healthy city plan.

“(I asked) in the event we may lose the bowling alley on Arbutus that we would look to find a way to continue offering a city-owned bowling facility on the west side of Vancouver,” Carr said. “And that was shot down by Vision (councillors), who shunted it over to the park board.

mhager@postmedia.com

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