Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

CHOOSING THE LUCKY ONES – Colin McDowell, the Yukon government’s director of land management, draws names during Monday afternoon’s lot lottery. Assisting was Susan Antpoehler, manager of client services.

Cowley Creek lots draw 100 applications

The Yukon government received three bids for three urban residential lots and 100 applications for the lottery of two country residential lots in Cowley Creek.

By Chuck Tobin on May 15, 2019

The Yukon government received three bids for three urban residential lots and 100 applications for the lottery of two country residential lots in Cowley Creek.

The bids were opened Monday afternoon, followed by the lottery.

Colin McDowell, the director of land management, told a small gathering there were no bids received for the large urban lot in the Logan neighbourhood, which has a minimum bid price of $911,000.

It will now be available over the counter for at least the next couple of weeks. If it doesn’t sell, there may be a different approach taken, he said.

There was also no interest in the large five-hectare lot in Hidden Valley, which carried a minimum price of $1.03 million.

McDowell said government officials will now work with the city on subdividing the parcel into smaller country residential lots expected to be available later this year and maybe even this summer.

The three urban lots did receive one bid each, and they have their own challenges, in that they are not serviced with water, sewer nor power, and two of them are of an irregular shape.

McDowell said the bid process was used to see if there was interest among the private sector to take a greater role in land development, such as servicing the lots and perhaps subdividing them.

The minimum bid for the Porter Creek lot at the corner of 14th Avenue and Holly Street was set at $227,000. The only bid received was from Wayne Cousins in the amount of $227,869.

The minimum price for the Granger lot at 119 Wilson Dr. was set at $249,000. The only bid received was from David Schneider of 53568 Yukon in the amount of $272,000.

The minimum bid for the Porter Creek lot at 67 Wann Rd. was set at $249,999. The only bid received was from Sean Rolston of 34353 Yukon Inc. in the amount of $302,000.

In the lottery for the two Cowley Creek lots, the first name drawn was Jessica Malchow.

The 1.03-hectare country residential lot at 55 Salmon Trail was valued at $209,000.

Vanessa Brault was the second name drawn. The 1.05-hectare lot at 59 Salmon Trail was valued at $212,000.

McDowell continued to draw all 99 applications, to establish an order of who’s next in line should either of the lots be turned back.

Earlier this month, the Star spoke to a local resident who was concerned that selling the urban lots to the highest bidder instead of going through a lottery would drive the cost of land up further in a market that’s already unattainable for many.

He chose to remain anonymous because of his position in the community.

The Yukon government is planning to release the next Whistle Bend lots later this year, according to government spokeswoman Bonnie Venton Ross of the Department of Community Services.

She said they are preparing 240 lots for release. All the parcels with the exception of the commercial lots will be released through a lottery, she said, adding the commercial lots will go out to tender.

The list of lots includes:

• 19 multi-family lots (large and small);

• 40 townhouse lots;

• 14 duplex lots;

• 132 single-family lots; and

• 35 commercial lots.

Comments (2)

Up 12 Down 0

stephen on May 16, 2019 at 2:09 pm

Is it me or is it the government at both levels so short sighted. There are two lots that did not sell so we will go back and look at subdividing them.
First why did you not think hmm what happens if those lots do not sell? What should we do. Pretty simple.
Let the public know if the lots do not sell at the time of the bidding closing a lottery will be held right after to parcel out as individuals lots.

What this does is this.

1) When the surveyors were out the first time someone should have had the brains to say survey as one parcel and survey as multiple parcels to save costs. Now you are going to have to send surveyors out again and add more costs.
2) Shows government hmmm being forward thinking and efficient. (Please don't tell me can't because of rules, processes, etc. If you let everyone know the way it will be run all is good. Start thinking outside the box for a change)
3) It opens up more lots and using the lottery drives down the costs instead of up.
4) It takes pressure off the market if more lots are available quicker.

Up 23 Down 1

BnR on May 15, 2019 at 5:00 pm

100 bids for 2 lots.
In YG speak, that translates to "hmmm, we better develop more small city lots...."

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