Yellowknife (Dec 19/03) - Creating a plan for Yellowknife means learning how residents want the city to grow, according to a consultant involved in developing a general plan for the city.

Margaret Ferguson of Terriplan Consultants also said developing this plan presents many challenges.

"While we recognize the need for green space, we also recognize the cost of developing in the city and the desire of people to live within proximity of a good number of services," she said.

Ferguson, along with Andy Swiderski, principal of Terriplan Consultants, hosted a public meeting, Tuesday evening, to seek further input, which will help them formulate the city's general plan, expected next spring.

Both the vision and the guiding principles were discussed with about 30 people who attended the meeting. One resident who attended the meeting said he hopes areas such as Tin Can Hill remain safe from development once the general plan is decided upon.

"I think it's foolish to be so restricted and so short-sighted," said George Erasmus of the development of so much green space within the city when there is other land available. "It seems the city could go beyond the Con Mine and develop in that fairly large area" he continued. "I think the city needs to get together with the aboriginal organizations and work out an expansion plan that goes beyond those boundaries."

Swiderski said part of the rationale in developing the plan is to consider where future growth will occur.

"We look at transportation, population growth and housing demands for the general plan," he said. Mindy Willett, a board member with Ecology North, said she was pleased most of the 25-page submission from her organization has been addressed.

"Our main concerns were alternative transportation, a focus on pedestrians and bikes and we wanted to see the trails networked throughout the city," Willett said.

Coun. David McCann, who also attended the meeting, said cars were a part of the problem when considering development.

"It's becoming a determining element," he said of developing and planning.

With regard to green space, he said council needs guidance from the public to determine what the acceptable balance is between maintaining green space and the cost of development.

"There is a limit as to how much people want to pay because that impacts on the affordability of our community," McCann said.