Yellowknife (Apr 23/04) - The principal author of the 2004 Yellowknife general plan was on the hot seat Wednesday night as residents weighed in on the latest strategy for managing the city's growth.

About 40 people attended a public forum Wednesday night to hear Terriplan Consultants principal Andy Swiderski offer his team's views on the city general plan. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

"We're still thinking inside the box," former city councillor Mike Byrne complained at a public meeting in Northern United Place.

"I think we need to get out of this mode of photocopying the previous plan."

The latest Terriplan Consultants plan outlines a vision for growth extending 20 years or more into the future where houses overlook Yellowknife Bay from the rocky bluffs above Con Mine, and a road flourishing with industry leads travellers from Kam Lake to the new airport.

Byrne said all the general plans he has ever seen stubbornly adhere to a concept of development that requires blasting rock to make room for new homes and pipes for water and sewer.

He said a made-in-the-North vision should utilize the city's rocky terrain to its advantage. Homes could be built on pilings drilled into the rock, and insulated utilidors could connect them to water services.

"One of the problems is that we seem to be stuck on underground infrastructure," said Byrne.

Cathie Harper questioned Terriplan's assertion that Old Town is the best site for a future arts centre.

"There's no room for parking for tourism attractions already there," she said.

"I'd prefer to see it by the jail site."

Wayne Bryant wanted to know why there was no mention of a plan to supply Old Town with piped water, picking up on Byrne's idea of constructing utilidors. He said there are emerging technologies that can blend the normally unsightly metal or wood-framed boxes with the existing landscape.

"It's like we're living in two camps -- piped service and trucked service," said Bryant. "It should all be one."

Great Slave MLA Bill Braden talked about the limited ability of Yellowknife's public transit system to ferry commuters from one part of the city to another.

Andy Swiderski, principal of Terriplan Consultants, took the criticism in stride, noting that his team has fielded hundreds of suggestions since beginning their work several months ago.

"They may not agree with some of the ideas or suggestions, but as usual, the groups in this city are separated from virtually all other jurisdictions by the fact that they respect each other's right to have different views," said Swiderski.

"To me, you can't ask for more than that."

Continue to accept submissions

He said his team will continue to accept public submission until Monday. After that, it's time to put it to bed and hammer out a final plan. Terriplan hopes to have the final report in city councillors' hands by May 3.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said what the latest plan offers above all else, is another shot at planning city growth, and getting it right.

"We are a community along a large lake shore," said Van Tighem.

"(The plan) moves us along the lake shore which would be the normal growth pattern of a community along the lake shore.

"The fact that there's nothing there now will give us the time to do it right so that we don't repeat history based on previous development."