Council hears criticisms of planned four-plex

A four-plex proposed for the city's Old Town neighbourhood downtown would detract from the area's character. It would also interfere with privacy and deprive residents of their enjoyment of their own yards, city council was told during a public input session Monday night.

A four-plex proposed for the city’s Old Town neighbourhood downtown would detract from the area’s character. It would also interfere with privacy and deprive residents of their enjoyment of their own yards, city council was told during a public input session Monday night.

Most opposed the conditional use application for a four-unit, two-bedroom building at 604 Jarvis St.

However, council was also told by the two proponents and one supporter the apartment complex would bring much-needed rental units to a scarce, over-priced market. It would also add to the vibrancy of the downtown, redevelop unused lots, reduce the environmental footprint on Whitehorse land by offering higher-density housing and bring other benefits to the city, council heard.

The session was held during council’s regular meeting, with council set to vote on the application later this month.

William Hodgkinson lives on the Sixth Avenue side of the Jarvis Street property. He told the city he initially had no problem with a four-plex being proposed for next door until he looked at the plans and realized the impact they would have on his property.

“The positioning is the main thing I’m having a problem with,” he said.

The position of the building would essentially create a huge wall in his backyard, he said. That would eliminate half the sun coming into his property, thus taking out his family’s ability to plant the garden they had planned to put in next year, Hodgkinson said.

Parking at the building would look directly into his kitchen windows, while windows in the apartments would look directly into his yard, eliminating the family’s privacy, he said.

Many residents said they wouldn’t be opposed to a duplex or small single-family home being built on the site, which is permitted in the current zone as a primary use that doesn’t require council’s approval. But adding four new residences to one property is too much, they said.

The area has already had two new triplexes added to the neighbourhood recently and that’s enough for the small area where everybody knows everybody, Dean Tower suggested.

“A four-plex is not a duplex,” it was noted in a letter to council from Clay Matthews, a 30-year resident of the area.

Pamela Holmes, meanwhile, pointed to the city’s downtown plan that notes the importance of maintaining single-family homes in Old Town.

Many have purchased homes in the area on that basis.

Holmes also argued the owners of 604 Jarvis also own a n umber of other vacant properties in the area. She suggested the city should look at enforcing a cleanup of those properties, advice a number of people in the audience applauded.

In separate presentations, property owners Kevin James and Joelle Hatten argued the building’s position is governed by the city’s zoning regulations. Many of the current buildings wouldn’t be allowed to be built like they initially were under current zoning bylaws, they argued.

If an allowable structure was to be developed under the primary zoning, it would still be two-storeys and likely affect the sunlight coming onto adjacent properties, they noted.

It also wouldn’t be the first apartment building in Old Town, with the Crystal Apartments nearby.

“Not everything is small,” James said.

The surrounding area is also a collection of lots with buildings constructed at various times, he said.

James said in an age of higher gas prices, more people want to live and work downtown, and it’s important to have higher-density developments.

It’s also too costly to build single-family homes, James noted.

Hatten pointed out the development would mean the redevelopment of a property which currently has only a vacant garage on it.

“The downtown has many of these orphaned lots,” she said, noting the development would also help address the rental issues in the capital city.

Meanwhile, Shirley MacDonald, a resident of Whitehorse for three years, said she has been “shocked” with the lack of housing available.

She added she’s tired of hearing complaints of proposed developments being too high or having too many people.

Four new units in the downtown area wouldn’t “break the back” of the neighbourhood, she said.

Council will vote on the application later this month.