City council heard two public submissions at its meeting Monday regarding the Range Road Joint Master Plan.

One presenter raised several questions regarding the proposed residential development of 18.5 hectares at the north end of Range Road, north of the Northland Mobile home park.

She said she supports the development because of the city’s housing shortage, but also wondered about green space and the impacts on the trail system used by the public.

Her concerns were largely addressed by the following presenter, Jane Koepke, a development consultant who appeared on behalf of the Yukon government and the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, the two land owners.

The government and Kwanlin Dün have been working in harmony on the proposal for the last two years, she said.

It has been a joint effort and a good example of two governments working together with a common goal, she added.

If council approves the master plan this summer, the intent would be to do detailed engineering work and such over the winter and start preparing the site in the fall of 2024.

The goal, she explained, would be to start delivering housing lots by 2028.

“Hopefully by 2040, you will see a fully-developed neighbourhood,” she said.

Koepke said there is already a cleared area that dates back to the Second World War, when the site was used for the installation of a radio tower.

The intent is to develop lots for sale on the Yukon government land and lots for lease on Kwanlin Dün’s parcel, which is the larger of the two. First Nations are not allowed to sell settlement land.

Kwanlin Dün’s interest dates back to the 1990s and land claim negotiations when the First Nation saw its parcel as an opportunity for economic development and revenue generation.

Revenue generation for the First Nation, Koepke said, is a very important part of the project.

Depending on how the governments proceed, Koepke estimates there will be approximately 387 housing units in the development, or enough to accommodate about 890 new residents.

There could be as many as 523 housing units or as few as 250, she said.

Housing units would be a mix of single-detached houses, duplexes and multiple housing units.

Koepke said there has been extensive consultation of citizens of the First Nation and residents of Range Road.

Among the concerns raised was the protection of green space and the condition of Range Road and its ability to handle the extra traffic, she explained.

Koepke said there would be green space maintained around the housing developments, as well as a 10-metre buffer between the parcels and the Northland park.

There would be a paved trail along Range Road that would come with the eventual Range Road reconstruction, she said.

Koepke said the central park space would be a mix of passive and active recreation space that would provide a gathering space and playground, and flexible space.

The flexible space, she said, could perhaps be used for a community building to provide exercise opportunities.

It could also be used for a community garden or bike-skills park, she said.

A bar graph completed by Koepke shows the development of high-quality, appealing parks, trails and open space, which are very important to Kwanlin Dün citizens.

So too is the protection of heritage and environmental values, she said.

Kwanlin Dün citizens indicated it’s also very important to develop high-quality, appealing housing options, Koepke said.