SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A representative from the city's largest landlord begged for the trust of about 35 angry homeowners during a public meeting Friday night regarding the development of apartments and townhomes near Con Road and 54 Street.

"I ask you to trust me that, give us some time, and this will be a different site," said Bo Rasmussen, construction manager for NPR Limited Partnership, formally Northern Properties REIT. "I do ask you to trust me that we will make the neighbourhood a much better place."

NPR has submitted a development permit application to the city to build 58 new units - a 28-unit apartment building and five six-plex units - on the hill next to Shaganappy and Ptarmigan apartments.

Residents in the surrounding area first heard about the idea at a disorganized and emotional public meeting held in May. Since then, they have joined forces to put a stop to the development.

Many of their concerns stem from the current state of Shaganappy and Ptarmigan apartments - bought by NPR last April. At the meeting, held at Northern United Place, they complained of garbage, the constant flow of emergency vehicles to the complex, noise and unsavoury tenants.

"You're asking us to trust you, when we look around and go, 'None of these are well-kept,'" said Luke Ootes, about existing NPR buildings around the city.

Having just taken part in the Tin Can Hill cleanup the previous weekend, Jennifer Moores agreed, noting that most of the garbage she picked up had come from the Bison Hill complex.

"I gave you the benefit of the doubt at the beginning, but I've been looking at your buildings really carefully and I can't trust you guys will maintain them," she said. "I think we've got a big enough mess as it is, I don't think we need more units up there."

It's not just the mess that residents are worried about, it's also an increase in traffic, overcrowding in an already high-density area and sun shadowing from the new buildings.

NPR was required by the city to do a traffic study, which was completed by Creative Transportation Solutions. The study showed that by adding 58 units, there would be an additional 26 cars added to peak morning traffic and 30 to peak afternoon traffic.

"This is equivalent to an average of 0.5 vehicle movement per minute during the busier afternoon peak hour, which from a traffic engineering point of view is not considered significant," states the draft report.

A sun shadow study has not been requested by the city, but Randy Spearing, a development officer for the city, said that could still happen.

The proposed development is a permitted use and meets the city's zoning bylaws, which would allow 22 units more than being proposed right now.

Rasmussen said NPR recognized that 80 new units, as is permitted by the city, would be too many for the site, which already has 100 units, and decided to reduce the number by about 25 per cent.

Reduction or no reduction, residents were not convinced.

"You know what, you get a small hamster cage, you put in 30 hamsters, they're going to eat each other. You build more units and yes, you said you reduced the amount and that's great, but it's too much for that neighbourhood. You still have too many people," said Herold Andrejek.

Friday's meeting was the last public meeting NPR plans to hold. The city's development officers will now review the proposed development, request more information if needed and then approve or refuse the development permit.

If approved, residents will have 14 days to appeal the city's development, at which point it would be presented to the development appeal board.

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