IQALUIT - The third phase of the Plateau subdivision will go ahead, but Iqaluit city council still has to approve the number of lots reserved for R-2000 homes.

On a rare Sunday meeting Feb. 7, city council decided to allocate 32 lots for single family homes, 20 lots for townhouses and small apartment buildings, one lot to accommodate a small grouping of homes as well as one reserved for a playground to Phase 3 of the Plateau subdivision. Six of the medium density lots will be designated for affordable housing.

The costs to develop Phase 3 are estimated to be $5.7 million, Michele Bertol, the city's senior director of planning and lands, wrote in the agenda documents presented to city council.

The original plan called for seven of the 32 lots be dedicated for R-2000 homes but the planning and lands committee of the whole, which met last week, will recommend council approve 23 lots for R-2000 homes, said Bertol.

Implementing the R-2000 standard on homes of the Plateau's Phases 1 and 2 was challenging as retaining the qualified agents to certified the homes proved difficult, according to agenda documents. Council is expected to vote on the proposal at its Feb. 23 meeting.

"They feel it is a sustainable subdivision and it is important that we build as many energy-efficient homes as possible," said Bertol.

The single family lots will be drawn by lottery while the city will entertain proposals for all others.

Bertol added the city decided to go ahead with phase 3 "because there are no more residential lots available."

New city facilities pondered

City council decided Feb. 7 to hire a consultant to study the feasibility and cost of building a new aquatics centre, recreation facilities as well as city and fire halls.

But the request for proposal will only go ahead pending budget approval, which is expected later this month.

The feasibility study and business plan would report on the type of facilities the city needs, how much space should be allocated and where they should be built. The city is also looking for a detailed conceptual design, cost analysis, business plan and a timeline or implementation plan.

"We'd like to make sure that we're prepared and we use the city lands and financial resources wisely," said Amy Elgersma, the city's acting recreation director.