Council Briefs
City council approves brew pub
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Friday, February 28, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It's almost official - the NWT Brewing Company should be able to open a brew pub on Bryson Drive in Old Town if a two-week window for public appeals goes off without a hitch.
Con Road resident Kathryn Stuckey tells council she doesn't want a playground developed in the Con/Rycon area because it'd be in her backyard. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo |
The planning for the brew pub started last summer with company owners Fletcher and Miranda Stevens, who canvassed the neighbourhood for opinions and then submitted a development permit request to council in January.
"Obviously we're pretty excited," said Miranda Stevens. "In two weeks we'll feel even better, but it feels great. It's nice to have everyone's support."
City council approved the brew pub Monday with a few conditions: nine on-site parking stalls for pub patrons, a six-space bike rack on site, and six off-site parking stalls on the former Johnson's Building Supplies lot, with any overflow being directed to the parking lot on the corner of School Draw Avenue and Franklin Avenue.
Miranda said if no one appeals they would like to open the pub this summer, but it depends on how construction goes.
"We're realistic in that things seem to take a little longer in Yellowknife, especially with construction," she said. "It could be early fall. We don't know at this point until we get the plans organized."
At least six unique flavours of beer will
be served, along with samples from other North American microbreweries and gastro pub food, or upscale pub food with
beer-infused ingredients to complement the beers.
Tax arrears list published
A list of 20 properties to be auctioned off if owners don't pay their property taxes was approved during Monday's regular council meeting.
"It's a way of making sure everybody's paying their taxes and in my experience over the years virtually everyone pays up," said Mayor Mark Heyck during a media briefing Tuesday.
The properties will be auctioned off on June 13 at city hall at a minimum of half their assessed value, he said.
The arrears on this, dating back from 2012, range from $228 to $33,814. The latter figure is for a property located at 4310 50 Avenue with an assessed value of more than $878,000.
Other expensive properties, value-wise, included on the list were 123 Kam Lake Road assessed at $723,800 with more than $2,000 in arrears, and 106 Taltheilei Drive at $610,990 in value but with only $250 in arrears.
Heyck said by the time the auction rolls around there won't be many properties on the list.
"By the time we get to June ... it shrinks down to almost nothing," he said.
Even when the properties are auctioned off, owners can still reclaim them by paying their outstanding taxes by going to city hall within 30 days of the auction.
Con/Rycon area made into park area
A bylaw that turns a triangular area at the intersection of Con Road and Rycon Drive into a parks and recreation zone has been approved.
The city is hoping to turn the area into a fenced-in playground for young children, but some residents in the area aren't enthused.
"One reason I don't want it is it's adjacent to my property which still hasn't been remediated," said resident Kathryn Stuckey.
"I don't think it's a great place for a park and it would be in my backyard. I've been there
for 18 years and I have neighbours too who don't want it because they're right across from it."
Sheldon Mason, another resident from the area, also spoke out against the bylaw.
"I do have small kids and I'm not against the park but I'm not sure if I agree with putting a playground there. It's going to block off for me and other residents and it's such a pie-shaped area if we do have a small playground it will interfere with residents," Mason said.
At the suggestion of Mayor Mark Heyck, council approved the rezoning of the area with the knowledge that administration will sit down with residents and work out a design of the park that suits everyone.
