Yellowknife (Nov 17/04) - The city's 2004 general plan will continue to list Tin Can Hill as a future suburb, despite a last ditch attempt by one city councillor to have it taken out.

Several residents ventured to City Hall last month during a public hearing into the general plan, demanding that Tin Can Hill remain a sanctuary for dog walkers and hikers.

Councillor Mark Heyck -- who has led the charge in recent months to spare the shoreline area along Great Slave Lake from development -- told council Monday afternoon that the hill is too valuable as a recreational area to risk bulldozing it.

He introduced an amendment, calling for all references in the general plan for development on Tin Can Hill to be scrapped.

He said its inclusion is tantamount to telling Multiplex users that the city intends to demolish the arena, then asking them "to go shovel off an area of Back Bay and use that instead."

However, after reviewing administration rulings on the public hearing, most councillors disagreed.

Twenty-six rulings on hearing submissions from the public were introduced in all -- most of which ruled against the various complaints directed at the 2004 general plan, which has yet to be passed by council.

Only one other councillor supported Heyck's amendment. Coun. Kevin O'Reilly said since the city doesn't need to change Tin Can's current zoning -- growth management -- by including it in the general plan, there shouldn't be any rush to list the area for future development.

Most councillors said the city simply can't afford to exclude the valuable real estate from its land inventory, even if it may be years before a decision is made on whether Tin Can Hill should be developed.

"I'm not in favour of freezing out a portion of land and saying it's sacred," said Coun. Dave McCann.

Coun. Bob Brooks warned that by excluding Tin Can Hill as an option for residential development in this general plan, it would be tougher to get the public to except it at a later date.

"The people using it now have always been aware that it's a possible development area," said Brooks. "I think if we ever want to use it for residential development, it has to stay in the plan."

Councillors Blake Lyons and Alan Woytuik said keeping Tin Can Hill free of development will make buying a home in Yellowknife less affordable because there will be fewer areas to develop.

"How much greenspace do we need?" asked Woytuik. "We've got one of the lowest densities in the world. We're comparing it to Hong Kong and New York."

In his closing statements, Heyck argued that developing Tin Can Hill won't make purchasing a home any more affordable.

"You're in for a surprise if you think we'll have affordable housing on Tin Can Hill," said Heyck, who insisted the hill's steep grade will drive costs up.

He added that the hill isn't just another greenspace.

"We're well aware there's lots of greenspace in our city," said Heyck.

"The reason people get worked up about Tin Can Hill is because it's got a particular value."