Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 07/04) - After losing his fight with City Hall four years ago, Vaughn del Valle's dream of building a floating hotel along the shore of Back Bay re-emerged Monday afternoon.

Peace River Flats resident Vaughn del Valle came to City Hall, Monday, to outline his vision for houseboats and a floating road on Back Bay. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

Several city councillors appeared to be caught off guard as del Valle launched into a presentation outlining his long-term plan for the property he owns at the end of Stout Road in the Peace River Flats.

Most assumed he was only making a request to have a $500 rezoning application fee for the property waived.

"It was kind of strange," said Councillor Bob Brooks later.

"It gave me a better vision of what he wanted for the future, but it wasn't on the agenda."

Del Valle said his short-term plan would be to build a floating road extending from his property onto Back Bay. Houseboats could be added onto it for residential use or tourism.

"The city has had a love-hate relationship with houseboats in the past," said del Valle. "But we need to develop some infrastructure for tourists. They generally leave in a day or two. There's nothing to do."

In 1999, city council turned down del Valle's proposal for a 48-room lodge on his Back Bay property.

He added that people could use the houseboats as cottages during the summer and then rent them out to Japanese tourists during the Aurora Borealis season in winter.

Part of del Valle's plan also calls for a tunnel to be blasted through the bedrock ridge past Fritz Thiel park to divert tourism traffic away from the neighbourhood, and onto the floating road.

Number of concerns

"Residents have a number of concerns," admitted del Valle. "One, with philosophy; the other with traffic."

Del Valle hopes if all goes well, he will eventually be able to build a condominium or hotel on the floating road.

He has so far made a rudimentary submission of his plans to council, but has yet to seek an official rezoning application, which is still listed as residential.

Del Valle tried to have his property rezoned for commercial use four years ago, but was unsuccessful.

A dozen or more of his neighbours were also in attendance for the Monday meeting. They had opposed del Valle's original plan four years ago, but were relatively guarded in their opinions this time.

"Some might call it pie-in-the-sky, but since it's back on the table, we have to take it seriously," warned Peace River Flats resident, Jamie Bastedo.

"If you can't see it on paper, you can't say it will happen," said another resident, Dusty Miller.