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Development worries councillor
Land swap between GNWT and developer may result in 120 new homes near correctional centre

Tim Edwards
Northern News Services
Published Friday, July 29, 2011

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A land swap being brokered by the City of Yellowknife between a developer and the GNWT is attracting criticism from city councillor David Wind, who said it flies in the face of current bylaws and the recommendations of expensive consultations.

A special council meeting will take place at city hall on Aug. 8 for a public hearing on rezoning a 118,459-square-metre parcel of land located beside the North Slave Correction Centre from public service to residential to allow for a housing development by Homes North. The first reading of the rezoning bylaw passed Monday night.

The property went to Homes North through a land-swap with the GNWT, which in return received three parcels of downtown land on which the old Pentecostal church sits. The land transaction took place through the city, which Coun. Bob Brooks said is the only avenue for such a swap.

Coun. David Wind, however, said the plan goes against bylaws the city has set to level the playing field for developers.

"The city needs to have a fair way to decide who gets land," said Wind, citing the Land Administration Bylaw amended in October 2010 to ensure any land the city disposes of goes through a ballot draw, public advertisement or request for proposals.

Brooks, however, said the proceedings and applications for this swap began a year-and-a-half ago and the city has to follow through in accordance with the old bylaw. "That's the same rule for every single bylaw we have," he said.

Brooks said he would like to see all land transfers go the route of the current amended bylaw, but the city is bound by legislation to go about this transaction the way it started, without the new

requirements.

Wind also has problems with what he understands to be plans for 90 to 120 manufactured homes, or trailers. Wind said the city's Smart Growth consultations heard from residents who would like to see development move more in the direction of single-dwelling, stick-built homes rather than trailers.

"This flies in the face of the consultations," he said, adding that homes will have to be built to meet the city's needs - which he said totals around 110 new homes a year - and more thought should be given to such housing developments.

"We're taking one year's development and just slapping it in by the seat of our pants," he said.

Brooks again disagreed. The Smart Growth plan, he said, did hear some anti-trailer sentiment, but it also heard voices in favour of trailers, and especially in favour of affordable, energy-efficient housing, which Brooks says describes the proposed development.

"The biggest thing we heard from people is they wanted choice and they wanted affordable choice," said Brooks, who chairs the Smart Growth Implementation Committee. He also noted the development proposal stage has yet to come, and would start if or when the rezoning is approved.

"Most people envision the old trailer park situation - I don't think anybody on council would like to see that ever again," Brooks said, adding he'd like to see nice neighbourhoods, with green space and trails, and that the nature of the Homes North development will be made public before the permit is issued.

Wind said he would like to see more time taken to discuss the rezoning of the Kam Lake property and that it doesn't need to be dealt with so quickly by calling a special meeting Aug. 8 before the next regular council meeting the end of August.

Brooks said the rezoning is not being rushed, as it's been in the process for almost two years and there's plenty of surveying and clearing work that could be done before the summer is over. Wind did say the development has positive aspects, including up to 120 new homes to meet a great city-wide demand for housing. But he stressed that Yellowknife has bylaws in place for a reason, and development should follow them, whereas this situation, while unique, seems to be sidestepping them.

"The ends never justify the means," he said.

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