Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 25/02) - A redrawn map for the proposed Niven Lake subdivision contains 58 lots on trucked services and cuts the average price of houses in the neighbourhood nearly in half.

Monte Christensen with the current version of the city's plans for Niven Lake. Right: The map currently allocates substantially more space to multi-family housing, but it may still change before approval by council. - Nathan VanderKlippe/NNSL photo

But it comes at a cost to single-family dwellings. The original 1996 plan called for 366 single-family units while the updated map includes 205 single-family and space for a number of multi-attached units. About a quarter of the single-family units would be on trucked services.

The new design -- which is subject to still further change -- effectively increases density to decrease price.

"It shows that we can reduce the development cost per unit, which the sale price should reflect," said lands manager Monte Christensen.

City staff released copies of the new map to a priorities, policies and budget committee meeting hearing on Monday. After some discussion, the new rezoning was tabled, and staff will present an amended version next Monday.

The new plan as presented eliminates some "problem lots" -- including height variations as great as 12 metres on a single property space for a playground and walking trails.

The end result drops the average price per unit from $89,392 to $46,080 -- mean figures which do not account for the difference in price between single-family and multi-unit housing.

It also drops the total development cost from $26.8 million to $17.6 million.

Coun. Ben McDonald suggested that one lot should be rezoned commercial to accommodate a convenience store in the subdivision. With widespread consent from other councillors, the matter was turned over to administration for a suggestion on where to allow for a store.

Coun. Robert Hawkins disagreed with the suggestion. "We're investing in the downtown and (with a corner store) we're attracting (Niven Lake residents) away," he said.

Coun. Alan Woytuik suggested that the city "bite the bullet" and pay for piped services to every lot. That would avoid the ongoing cost of trucked services, although it would mean a heftier payment up front, and probably increase lot prices.

Those on trucked services receive a 50 per cent subsidy from residents on piped services, and Woytuik wants to curb the number of ratepayers being subsidized. Councillors will try to resolve many of those questions at the committee's meeting next Monday.