City council’s decision to approve first reading of a bylaw to rezone an area of Whistle Bend for a major outdoor sports complex is by no means approval for the project itself.

Council members made that clear Monday evening prior to passing first reading.

“There are a lot of questions we have forwarded on to the Yukon government,” said Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu, noting her support for the bylaw “at this point.”

The facility would be owned by the territorial government and leased to the Yukon Outdoor Sports Complex Association, which would operate it.

As both councillors Dave Stockdale and Kirk Cameron pointed out, first reading advances the bylaw to a public hearing (at council’s March 23 meeting) where residents can let council know what they think of the rezoning application.

The application came forward last week for the rezoning of a 7.17-hectare piece of land off Casca Boulevard near Whistle Bend Way, with most of the area currently zoned for residential use.

It sits next to a site at the corner of the two roads that’s identified for a future school.

As it was outlined last week, the $8-million facility would be built in a phased approach.

It would begin with a rubberized running track and soccer pitches featuring artificial turf and at least two soccer pitches along with landscaping work, bleachers and lighting. If all goes according to schedule, it would open in 2016.

Proponents for the facility argue it’s needed for the development of the territory’s athletes.

The rubberized track would provide the same type of surface athletes compete on when they attend track events Outside.

Meanwhile, the artificial turf soccer facilities would allow for an earlier start to the outdoor season for minor soccer players as well as allow time for fields in the city to recoup from the heavy use they currently see.

Tony Gaw, who heads up the association for the facility, told council last week there could be one or two fields taken out of the soccer mix at any one time to allow for re-growth of the turf when the new outdoor facility opens.

The proposal raised numerous concerns last week among council members. They wondered if the city could eventually be faced with the possibility of taking over operational costs down the road if the proposed user-pay system is not a success.

They also questioned:

• whether the facility is needed at this time;

• its ongoing costs;

• potential plans to host major sporting events, given the note that the facility could accommodate events like the Western Canada Games; and

• how the potential school next door could access the facility, given that it would be a locked site.

Those queries formed part of a long list of questions.

It was also suggested $8 million for a new recreational facility in Whitehorse could be better used for renovations to recreation facilities in other communities.

A letter from Community Services Minister Currie Dixon to Mayor Dan Curtis dated Feb. 2 stresses “.... as the project is conceptualized, there are no O&M expectations on the city beyond what might normally be done for other recreation or community groups.”

Council members, however, have continued to voice concerns about the operational costs involved and the potential they could be passed on to the city in the future.

At last night’s meeting, Stockdale also said he is “frustrated by the process” and what he sees as a “lack of respect from the territory for the city.”

He went on to encourage everyone to get involved in the process.

Similarly, Cameron commented that he’s “quite curious” about what the public has to say about the proposal.

After the public hearing on March 23, a report on just that will come forward to council, with second and third readings expected to be voted on at the April 13 meeting.