Council Briefs
Council green-lights Niven lot sale
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Another piece of the failed Bond Street Properties site in Niven is set to see construction after city council last week unanimously voted to sell a lot to Redcliff Developments at a discount and with increased density.
Jordan Harker, co-founder of Redcliff Development, speaks to the city's municipal services committee last week about plans to build residential units between Niven and Lemay drives. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo |
Bond Street began building Niven phase five but construction halted when funds ran out. The property was eventually purchased by the city and split up. Two of the lots have since been developed, but the three remaining around Lemay Drive have remained an eyesore for neighbours.
Redcliff approached the city to buy one of the three lots, seeking a discounted price but council first sought to have the property value reassessed, returning with a range of $800,000 to $1 million. Council allowed Redcliff to enter a three-year payment plan for the 3,949-square-metre lot between Niven and Lemay drives. The motion provides a 15 per cent discount to the lot, as well as two others nearby that have also remained vacant and raises the density allowed on two parcels - including Redcliff's - to 20 from 14 units. The density allowed on a third parcel was increased to 49 units from 48.
Jordan Harker, a Redcliff co-owner, said the company plans to start with attached homes and to work on the development over two to three construction seasons. He said the intention is to keep the scale of the buildings down to match what's already in the neighbourhood and urged council to approve the sale.
"We want to design," he said. "We want to build as soon as possible."
Mayor Mark Heyck took the rare step of handing off chairmanship of the meeting to the deputy mayor to comment and vote on the issue. He said given the time the land has been on the market without development, it was important to approve the motion
"(It) allows us to reinvigorate interest in a parcel that's been a wasteland for the better part of five years," Heyck said. "Let's get more housing stock on Yellowknife's market, let's add this to our tax base."
Angled parking cut from Old Town paving plan
The plans for Franklin Avenue construction in Old Town this summer have been altered after a discussion at Monday's municipal services committee meeting.
Gone are the 13 angled parking stalls across from The Woodyard Brewhouse & Eatery. A wide multi-use asphalt path on the northeast side of the street remains which will eliminate parking on that side of the street. The city is looking at adding signs to make it clear where parking is not allowed and where it is OK, such as the city-owned lot south of the intersection of Franklin and School Draw Avenue. That lot is estimated to be able to hold 25 to 30 vehicles without trailers. The amount of parking being removed along Franklin was estimated by Chris Greencorn, director of public works and engineering, at 20 spaces.
Coun. Julian Morse said the budget for 2016 approved by council implied this project would be focused on repaving.
Coun. Adrian Bell pointed out the project in the budget stated it would involve painted bike lanes, essentially an extension of what's already on another portion of Franklin. He said between when that was approved and the contract approval, the plans changed but council wasn't made aware of the finer details.
Bell said the city's Smart Growth Plan had included proposals for streetscaping the entrance to Old Town, such as with signs detailing the history of the area. Senior administrative officer Dennis Kefalas said, given the restricted space, the path and parking were pretty much the only options beyond what's there now. Asked if there's a plan for streetscaping, Kefalas said staff haven't been given direction from council.
"That surprises me because this is something we've always talked about as being an important area," Bell said.
Council considers budget wishlist
City councillors last week reviewed a list of pet projects they want city staff to cost out to potentially include in the 2017 budget.
The list includes things like a new drinking water fountain in Somba K'e Civic Plaza, a new public library study, a citizen survey and trail development for biking and hiking.
Staff had asked council to submit ideas that were then reviewed last week. The initial list of 30 items was whittled down slightly and will now go back to administration to examine and come up with cost estimates.
There are still several rounds of approvals before any of the ideas could make it into the final budget. Coun. Adrian Bell had proposed a raft of ideas focused on downtown revitalization, including a downtown local improvement charge; doubling the day shelter funding to $100,000, extending its hours and having it moved to a new location; a specialized RCMP unit; and additional municipal enforcement officers, among others.
However, after a trip to Vancouver for a business improvement district conference, his perspective changed on the charge.
"Long story short, I think our downtown is too far gone" for the local improvement charge, Bell said.
The policing and day shelter aspects were kept. Coun. Shauna Morgan promoted several environmentally-focused ideas, such as improved trails, implementing recommendations of previous active transportation reports and community energy plan projects such as solar panels, interior LED lights, a wind measurement pilot project and community outreach.
Mayor Marck Heyck proposed increasing the amount budgeted for grants by $50,000, a citizen survey and a study of options for a new public library that would examine potential locations. Absent from the mayor's list was a splash park. The idea was cut from the 2016 budget but the mayor previously said he'd look at pushing for it again in the 2017 budget.
Earlier this month Jeff Dalley, the city's director of corporate services, told council that staff project a 3.44 per cent property tax hike would be required to meet growing expenses. That forecast did not include the costs of any of the ideas raised by councillors.
