City staff have recommended that council turn down a proposal to rezone a property in Whistle Bend that would allow for a townhouse development rather than the apartment housing it’s zoned for.

City staff typically recommend council move forward to first reading on most rezoning applications, which moves it to the public hearing phase. In this case, however, it was recommended that council defeat it at first reading.

Randy Audette applied to rezone 11 Tarahne Way from Comprehensive Residential Multiple Family 2 (RCM2) to Comprehensive Residential Multiple Family (RCM1) to build a 40-unit townhouse development.

“The existing RCM2 zone allows primarily apartment development,” Mélodie Simard, the city’s manager of planning and sustainability services, stated in a report to council.

“Mr. Audette has stated that he does not wish to construct apartment units as he believes they are not marketable in Whistle Bend.”

Under the zoning, RCM2 allows for only apartments and residential care homes as principal uses. It’s meant to be a high-density, energy-efficient multiple housing zone with a minimum density of 50 units/ha.

Meanwhile, the RCM zone is meant to be more of a medium-density zone that also fits with lower-density housing types.

The RCM zone allows a wider variety of housing types, such as fourplexes, townhouses, and apartments, at densities of 25 to 50 units/ha.

RCM lots in Whistle Bend are typically located on streets with adjacent single-family and duplex lots.

As Audette told council in a presentation at the beginning of Monday night’s council meeting, his plans may actually result in more people living in the area than an apartment complex would.

It’s expected his three-bedroom townhouse units would each house an average of 3.5 people.

At 40 units, that would see approximately 140 people calling Audette’s development home.

Meanwhile, an apartment complex would likely see 50 two-bedroom units created, housing an average of two people per unit. That means about 100 people would live there.

Thus, Audette noted, the townhouse development could actually allow for greater density.

He explained he recently purchased the land over the counter after not getting any sites in the most recent land lottery in Whistle Bend.

Audette is a contractor who’s been working in the Yukon for nearly 30 years. He said he has employees as well as their families who would be impacted if the project doesn’t go ahead.

“I feel obligated to keep my guys employed,” Audette said. If the rezoning doesn’t happen, he added, he’ll have to postpone development on the site.

He explained he’s talked to about three local realtors who have told him the demand for apartment-style housing in Whistle Bend isn’t there in the same way it is for townhouses.

Audette noted that apartment-style housing is in more demand where there are commercial developments nearby.

Condos are being sold downtown – including two developments that are seeing pre-sales.

However, such a development in Whistle Bend doesn’t have the convenience of nearby shops and services that the downtown sites do.

Until there are such developments nearby in Whistle Bend, Audette said, he doesn’t expect the demand for apartment units to be there.

Simard, though, noted there’s a commercially-zoned lot nearby along with bus service.

“In the Whistle Bend Master Plan, the subject area was ‘housing mix B’, high density housing,” Simard said.

“The RCM2 zoning applied to this lot was intended to provide apartment-style housing adjacent to a commercially-zoned lot and Casca Boulevard transit stops.

“The original concept for Whistle Bend included a neighbourhood population of 10,000 people and 3,500 units,” Simard added.

“Through the master planning process, the population was refined to 8,000. Since that time, numerous multiple family sites have not been developed to their maximum density.

“Continued reduction to the overall number of units will have an impact on the success of the commercial and transit viability, as well as the vision as a sustainable neighbourhood.”

Simard also noted that a site plan for the townhouses has not been submitted to the city. That has created some uncertainty as to whether 40 units would be feasible.

“Based on what has been developed elsewhere in Whistle Bend, it is likely that a townhouse development at 11 Tarahne Way would yield 25-35 units,” Simard said.

Council won’t vote on whether to move forward with the rezoning until next month.

Coun. Dan Boyd expressed some reservations about the recommendation it be defeated at first reading.

“We do have a demand for the townhouses, row housing,” Boyd said.

A case could be made for the rezoning, he argued. The neighbourhood is still without the commercial conveniences that can create demand for apartment style housing, Boyd noted.

Coun. Roslyn Woodcock, however, highlighted the building of the Yukon government’s $150-million extended care facility. Such housing in the area may be sought by employees of the new facility, she added.

Questioned by Coun. Rob Fendrick, Simard acknowledged that council could approve this rezoning and add more apartment-style housing zones in future phases of Whistle Bend.

Simard also pointed out that this lot sits on a major roadway in the neighbourhood.

Next month, if council opts to move forward with first reading, the public hearing on the proposal would be held July 9, with a report coming forward July 16 and second and third readings proceeding July 23.

Mayor Dan Curtis was absent from Monday night’s meeting, with Fendrick serving as acting mayor.