Yellowknife (May 13/05) - A recommendation to change zoning rules for a Niven Lake subdivision fuelled a heated battle on council Monday night, with one member accusing council of interfering with decisions made by City Hall.

Coun. Kevin O'Reilly said he feared council "is beginning to interfere with the delegated authority to our staff" now that a recommendation has passed that may lead to a bylaw amendment allowing double-wide type trailers in Phase VI of the Niven Lake subdivision.

A stop-work order issued by City Hall last month halted work on Phase VI by developer Homes North. Several factory-manufactured homes brought to the site without a development permit were essentially trailer units, city staff said, and are not allowed under the development agreement for the site.

Homes North says the units are modular homes, which are allowed.

Administration capitulated and gave Homes North a development permit, but on condition that Homes North remove steel frames from the buildings, which the company said will increase the purchase price for the units.

But the permit was issued only after intense pressure from councillors, O'Reilly said, who wanted the project to proceed whether the Homes North units met the zoning requirements or not.

A zoning bylaw amendment is expected to come forward later this month that would allow Homes North to continue, steel frames and all.

O'Reilly's accusation drew an angry reaction from Coun. Alan Woytuik, who called for a point of order, although Mayor Gord Van Tighem allowed O'Reilly to continue.

Woytuik later said O'Reilly's remark was an "outright lie."

It "didn't make any sense at all," said Coun. Bob Brooks.

Coun. Doug Witty pushed O'Reilly's buttons even further, suggesting he had an "anti-development background" because of his work with environmental advocacy groups.

That remark caused O'Reilly to launch a point of order of his own, saying Witty was crossing the line by speaking about his background.

He asked if Witty may also have been referring to his "ethnicity" or language background.

Some councillors wondered after the meeting if an "anti-development background counts as a religion," Brooks later commented.

Coun. Blake Lyons, meanwhile, told councillors he has seen much fiercer discussion before during his nearly 20 years on council.

"I'm disappointed," said Lyons. "This is one of the tamest discussions yet."

A motion directing administration to prepare a zoning amendment for Niven Lake passed 5-3.