Whitehorse Daily Star

Development could house up to 890 new residents, city told

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

By Chuck Tobin on July 14, 2023

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.

Comments (8)

Up 4 Down 0

Lea Bayliss on Jul 20, 2023 at 9:07 pm

So is this development going to be similar to the Whistlebend subdivision which was suppose to be COW's environmentally, ecologically responsible development where they clear cut pristine tracts of forest (and continue to do so) destroying essential wildlife and birdlife habitat? Where the roads are super wide and some units have gravel front yards and heaven forbid if you plant more than one tree in your gravel front yard!?? Porter Creek subdivision should have been the model COW used for subdivisions that followed - lots of trees which are beneficial in so many ways, no cookie cutter units, narrower streets that are working just fine and birds, lots of birds that migrate back every year to familiar nesting habitat. Not to be found in Whistlebend any where - all habitat totally trashed. Developers, COW and YG are using the housing crisis to further their cause whether it be financial or securing votes. The city and YG had an opportunity to do things so differently up here but instead chose to follow the money, So much for a wilderness city. Welcome to the concrete jungle.

Up 15 Down 0

YD on Jul 20, 2023 at 2:42 pm

Is it just me, or does 17 years seem like a ridiculous amount of time to build a small neighborhood?

Up 49 Down 8

Mick on Jul 17, 2023 at 2:06 pm

COW better get to work twining Mountainview.....starting yesterday

Up 26 Down 23

Donna on Jul 15, 2023 at 7:41 pm

Hope the developers are aware that area is an animal corridor.

Up 5 Down 0

David on Jul 15, 2023 at 5:39 pm

A lease agreement for a lot in Porter Creek states, "The parties agree that the party to whom a request for renewal [of the lease] is made is under no obligation to agree to renew this Lease."

This means that at renewal time, if 20% of Whitehorse households lives on these leased lots, and the vacancy rate in the city is 1% or 2%, and if the terms of renewal offered at the time are terrible, there won't be any other places to go for those people who don't want to renew, they will be stuck paying whatever price the owner of these lots demands.

Up 2 Down 0

David on Jul 15, 2023 at 5:05 pm

I would prefer to own the lot that my house is on.

Up 5 Down 0

Thomas Brewer on Jul 14, 2023 at 4:20 pm

No one in their right mind would buy those things at full price - who knows what might happen when it's time to renegotiate?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/real-estate/great-deals-or-potential-nightmares/article1378285/

Look at what happened in 1995:

"The most famous example of a hike in lease payments was in 1995, when Musqueam Park leases came up for renewal after 30 years. The Musqueam band raised the payments in accordance with then-current market values on the tony west side properties. It meant average lease payments went from about $400 to more than $2,000 a month.

Senior mortgage consultant Rob Regan-Pollock helped several devastated clients through the price hike and ensuing court battle, including one who was forced to declare bankruptcy. That client emerged from the crisis and went on to purchase land again - freehold.

"Their lease payments were in some cases higher than their mortgage payments," Mr. Regan-Pollock says.

Up 82 Down 13

Matthew on Jul 14, 2023 at 3:45 pm

Wait.. what!? By 2040 they "hope" to see a developed neighborhood!? BS! It can be done in 5 years! Whitehorse can't wait a whopping 17 years! Just goes to show how out of touch beaurocracy actually is right now

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