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Land debate on 47 Street

Nicole Veerman
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, April 20, 2011

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Two 47 Street residents were outraged when they went to city hall Monday to discuss the city's plans to put in a laneway behind their home, while rejecting the couple's request to purchase the land which they currently use.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Markham Breitbach, who lives at 5507 47 Street with his wife Tracey, who is due to give birth any day to their third child.

"Why, when I should be preparing for the birth of my third child, am I having to contemplate thousands of dollars in expenses to move long-standing infrastructure so the city can put a laneway behind my house that nobody wants or needs?" he asked while standing in front of council and members of administration. "It would only serve to invite strangers and criminals into a newly created (secluded) place to drink and do drugs, commit rape and assault, which is so frequent on the city's other public trails."

In the recommendation put forward by administration, the reason for the laneway is to offer a new access point for the trail running from Con Mine to Old Town.

The Breitbachs have been trying to purchase the lane behind their home since they moved in, in 2003. Last year the couple also put in an application to purchase a triangular parcel of land adjacent to the lane, where they keep a greenhouse which was in place when they purchased their home. They estimate the plot is about 850-square-feet.

Their neighbour, Georges Erasmus, has also been trying to purchase that land. He put in an application in 2003.

In administration's recommendation Monday - the second presented to council on this issue - Erasmus would be granted the triangular parcel of land, which he wants for gardening.

The original recommendation, presented to council on Jan. 10, 2010, had no mention of a laneway, and suggested that the city rezone the triangular parcel of land NP (nature preservation) instead of selling to either party.

At the time, council requested administration draft another recommendation addressing how to dispose of the land.

"Now here we are today faced with two options from administration, neither of which takes into consideration our interests in the matter," Markham said.

Erasmus agreed with his neighbours that creating a laneway would only have negative effects on the neighbourhood.

Adding to Breitbachs' earlier comments, he said trails also encourage snowmobile and ATV traffic, which will create noise pollution in their otherwise quiet neighbourhood.

"We support their (the Breitbachs') ability to buy the lane," he told council. "We think it's fair that they have that.

"That lane has been blocked for over 30 years and there hasn't been any harm done, so I think it's fair that we get the triangle and they get the lane."

Despite hearing presentations from the Breitbachs and Erasmus, city councillor Bob Brooks said he thinks the new recommendation is "the way to go."

"The whole area is a bit of a mess," he said. "It needs some straightening out. It needs some site surveys. It needs to have some encroachments dealt with in order for us to do the long-term planning that we've been trying to do for many, many, many years."

Brooks said he is interested to see all of the encroachments dealt with so that laneways and trail systems can be connected.

Coun. Amanda Mallon said she would prefer that the laneway be leftuntouched. Coun. David Wind agreed.

"I'm supportive of the two proponents in their objection to the development of the lane and their preference to keep it in its current state."

With $71-million in city infrastructure needing replacement, Wind said the city should be saving its money for more important projects than a laneway.

The issue will be presented to council for first reading next week.

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