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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
City council was forced to adjourn a public hearing on the future of Old Airport Road Monday after affected businesses criticized council for a failure to communicate. The city will now take a month to discuss proposed zoning changes with those affected.

Seven upset speakers told council they were never consulted on the city's plans to remove industrial uses from the current commercial service zone in favour of medium- and high-density housing in a new zone called the Old Airport Road zone. Council also heard concerns about changes to front yard setbacks and building design regulations.

"My business would not exist on (Old) Airport Road currently if this bylaw were in existence today," Bill Aho of Central Mechanical Systems told council. "Something that is this critical warrants further, closer consultation."

"We have invested our futures in this location and it would be very expensive to relocate," Garland Grayston of Northbest Distributors said. "Nothing I have read tells me the purpose of this rezoning. I suggest the city leave the thriving businesses on (Old) Airport Road as is."

Hearing these concerns, Mayor Gord Van Tighem asked administrative staff how many businesses would be affected by the changes. The surprising answer showed the communication problem.

"All the businesses that are existing are grandfathered," said city planner Jeffrey Humble, meaning most would see no changes. "No businesses would be forced to relocate or forced to terminate their business. This essentially would affect new businesses."

Likewise, existing businesses can continue to expand under existing zoning. Businesses could even pass on industrial use at their present locations with the sale of their businesses, assuming the next owner continues the same operation.

"The use carries with the land," he said, "so the only instance where the use would terminate is if it was discontinued for an extended period of time, in which case it can not return to industrial use.

"It's a gradual phasing in, not an immediate thing. This kind of development would happen over a period of decades."

While this eased some concerns, others remained. Land owner and developer Les Rocher said the new rules would adversely affect his business.

With lumber yards and metal structures banned under the bylaw, "it's going to be hard for us to find new clients," he told council. "A lot of that property out there is not fully developed. There have to be buildings put up for many applications. I'd be banking on car sales, lumber sales, mechanical.

"You have no idea how many people you are impacting," he added. "By passing this bylaw, you (the city) control the properties."

Citing what Aho called "a lack of consultation with property owners on this bylaw," the mayor suggested adjourning the public hearing to give council time to explain the proposed changes to business owners, and to get their feedback on the future of the area.

Coun. Amanda Mallon told one speaker that the results of a communications study received earlier in the day said the city needed to be more engaged with citizens. The concern and confusion about the zoning changes led Coun. Cory Vanthuyne to express regret to one speaker, saying "sometimes we are challenged to communicate."

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