Nathan Vanderklippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 02/02) - A part-owner of the Super 8 Motel is calling for a political solution after the city's development appeal board rejected the motel's bid to expand by 34 rooms.

"I'm surprised and disappointed. I feel in good faith that we fully addressed each of the technical concerns raised by the city," said Dave Connelly, a local businessman with ownership shares in the motel, which is 60 per cent owned by the Inuvialuit Development Corporation.

Connelly and his legal counsel, Katherine Peterson, spoke before the appeal board last Tuesday, arguing that the proposed addition had sufficient parking spaces and fit in with the density requirements of the area.

But the Super 8 requests were turned down by the appeal board decision, which sided with development officer John Pelletier, who initially denied the development application, on almost every single point.

The decision was made after three meetings on the matter. However, the Super 8 expansion is not yet dead. Several people on city council are pushing to review the city's zoning bylaws.

"Whether the provisions that were made for the Frame Lake area stay forever, that's a matter to be decided politically," said Mayor Gord Van Tighem, who supported the appeal board decision.

"The development officer makes his evaluation based on the bylaws that are in place and the zoning that's in place."

Coun. Robert Hawkins, who also serves on the appeal board, said he will raise the matter for discussion at an upcoming meeting.

He wants the city to rethink its guidelines on site coverage and transferrable density.

Meanwhile, Connelly argued that he has the support of various area residents.

"The meeting was well advertised in the newspaper and on the radio and no one came forth from the public to oppose the project," he said, adding that several voiced support for the expansion.