SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
If a new townhouse complex goes up next to where Ben Ladell lives on Bartesko Court in uptown, he says he would move out.

Ben Ladell said he's been next to this wooded area where children play on Bartesko Court for two-and-a-half years and doesn't want to see it changed. TC Enterprises has applied to rezone the lot for the fourth time but councillors are mostly opposed. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo

Ladell lives beside a wooded area with a long history of attempted developments by TC Enterprises - all which have been denied by city council and fiercely opposed by area residents.

The latest of such attempts - in the form of re-zoning requests - is also facing denial, with most councillors saying they intend to vote 'no.'

At Monday's municipal services committee meeting TC Enterprises architect Michael Acht asked council to raise the density cap on the property to allow the townhouse development.

Acht said he has met with area residents to try and convince them on his building plan but the resounding sentiment was they didn't want anything built at all. Acht wants to build a 24-unit two-storey townhouse complex which would be around eight-and-a-half meters tall, surrounded by six-foot fencing, parking for 22 visitor vehicles, with a 35-foot perimeter buffer.

The company owns the 36-unit apartment building on the same lot, which was built in 2003. The cap was placed on the area - around 15 years ago - allowing only 36 units on the 1.2 hectare piece of land.

Acht declined further comment after the meeting.

On Tuesday, Ladell, a 25-year old pilot who has lived for two-and-a-half years in the apartment building beside of the wooded area - said he signed a petition last year - along with about 150 other residents - asking to keep the neighbourhood the way it is now.

"A lot of kids play back there, which is nice to see in the summertime," he said. "One of the great things about living in Yellowknife ... is we've got access to trees and lakes and all of that. In the city, it's a nice little reminder of that."

Ladell said as a renter he could always move if a build went ahead, but not everyone can do that.

"For a lot of people that's not really an option," he said.

"There's lots of families around here with kids going around all the time. What does it do to the value of their homes? It's a quieter part of town ... as opposed to downtown."

Councillors Bob Brooks, Rebecca Alty and Niels Konge said they plan to support the development when it comes before council March 9. Brooks said he was initially against the idea of amending the density cap because the developer hadn't worked hard enough to get feedback from area residents.

"I have to congratulate TC Enterprises ... for actually going out of their way to try and address every single concern that was raised," he said, adding he was pleased by the idea of adding extra parking to the plan.

"I have friends in Bartesko Court and I can never find a place to park. So being selfish I wanted a place to park."

He said he feels the developer came up with an adequate compromise and so he will support the motion.

Coun. Niels Konge said the developer who owns the property has the right to build something on the site and if ultimately construction for a much larger complex is approved by a future council then residents could be sorry they weren't more open to Acht's proposal, which is the smallest build yet proposed.

Coun. Dan Wong said too much time and money has already been spent considering the issue, it's causing undo stress to residents, council, staff and the developer and he isn't willing to support the motion.

He said he'd like to see a "three-strikes you're out"policy adopted for applications that have repeatedly been denied.

TC Enterprises bought the property in the late 1990s.

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