SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A city councillor told council and administration that he would like to see government buildings required to have retail space on their ground floors, during a Priorities, Policies and Budget Committee meeting on May 3.

"I think that, in itself, would do an awful lot to help our downtown if we did have that requirement there (in the zoning bylaw)," said Coun. Paul Falvo.

Representatives from Dundee REIT, the developer of a five-storey government building, which is planned to rise out of the ashes of the former Gallery building by December 2011, told the city's Downtown Enhancement Committee there would be no retail space on the ground floor of the building, according to Falvo.

"To take the Greenstone Building as an example, notwithstanding its many merits and accolades from an environmental point of view, it is still dead space," said Falvo.

"It does not draw people to downtown and keep them there."

The city is considering selling 24,332 square metres of land to Homes North in the Con Place and Rycon Trailer Court area, about half of which is owed by the city to the developer.

During the development of the Niven Lake Phase 6 subdivision, Homes North gave 11,465.8 square metres of land back to the city for the relocation of a cul-de-sac road. In return, the city wants to give Homes North four parcels of land, 11,867 square metres, in the Con and Rycon area.

Homes North would like to buy another 11,465 square metres of land there, and is planning to develop homes on all of it.

"I think the city should honour their moral agreement with Homes North and transfer the (four parcels of land) to Homes North," said Coun. David Wind, when the matter was discussed in a Municipal Services Committee meeting on Monday.

Wind said, however, he does have a concern.

"We have an opportunity here ... to ask the public if they are interested and have a ballot draw (for the lots), as we did in Niven Phase 7," said Wind.

"Given the scarcity of lots on which you can put manufactured homes in the city, I would suggest that there may be more people interested in purchasing some of the lots," said Wind.

No one else had an issue with the memorandum, and it will go before council on Monday.

A Yellowknife resident has requested the city change the zoning bylaw in the Engle Business District to allow for caretaker residences, among other changes.

The application, written by Bruce Hewlko, also asked for looser landscaping requirements, permission to relocate "used" buildings to the district, and tighter guidelines for keeping things clean in neighbouring dog kennels.

City administration recommended council approve the used buildings and dog kennels request, but not the landscaping and caretaker residence requests.

"There may be some businesses that need 24-hour security," said Coun. Amanda Mallon, who supported the idea of caretaker residences for security personnel, if 24-hour security were required.

Coun. Paul Falvo agreed. "I don't have a problem with people living there if they are fine with it," said Falvo.

Coun. Cory Vanthuyne said he thinks businesses should have the right to put caretaker residences on their properties.

Councillors David Wind, Bob Brooks, and Lydia Bardak, however, voiced concern over allowing caretaker residences. They said industrial and residential uses do not mingle well due to issues like noise, fuel storage, and heavy equipment operation.

They also cited the example of Kam Lake, where an industrial zone with caretaker units evolved into a mixed residential zone.

"Businesses can go to Kam Lake if they want to have caretaker residences," said Bardak.

The councillors did not spend much time discussing the landscaping requirements, which Hewlko wrote are "trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" when applied to a heavy industrial zone, in his application for the zoning changes.

The two recommendations from administration will go before council on Monday.