Yellowknife (July 21/04) - City council has quashed a developer's plan to build an 11-storey hotel and houseboat community on Back Bay.

The project "would too drastically change the flavour and existing nature of the community," councillor Alan Woytuik said at a committee meeting Monday.

Developer Vaughn del Valle watches as city council rejects his proposal for a hotel and houseboat community on Back Bay. - Andrew Raven/NNSL photo

"A 10-room hotel is one thing. An 11-storey hotel is another," he said.

Developer Vaughn del Valle was asking the city to re-zone land at the end of Anderson-Thompson Boulevard, in Yellowknife's Peace River Flats area.

Del Valle wanted to build a high-rise condominium or hotel and a houseboat community in an area characterized by single-family homes.

More than a dozen Peace River Flats residents appeared at Monday's committee meeting to protest the development.

They worried the complex would restrict access to Back Bay, cause traffic problems on the area's narrow roads and obstruct views of the neighbouring houses.

"Any medium or large scale building would destroy the tranquil, natural landscape," said area resident Shawne Kokelj.

The development "would remove public space from the public good," added Mindy Willet. "It's in all of Yellowknife's interest to keep the area as it is."

During the meeting, del Valle said the building would actually benefit the surrounding community and Yellowknife as a whole through tax revenues and tourist dollars.

Del Valle criticized the city's planning department for recommending council reject the re-zoning application after approving other high-rises, including one by Polar Developments near the downtown core.

"Administration again appears to be playing by different rules," said del Valle, who saw a similar proposal rejected by council in 1999.

Despite del Valle's pleas, council re-affirmed its commitment to restricting high-rise developments in and around Old Town.