Two local environmental groups are praising the city's decision not to go ahead with a road through McIntyre Creek as it gets ready to move ahead with the next part of Whistle Bend.

"It's wonderful news,” Christina Macdonald, the wildlife co-ordinator for the Yukon Conservation Society (YCS), said in an interview this morning.

YCS and the Friends of McIntyre Creek were among a number of organizations and individuals voicing their opposition to the road when it was initially proposed as part of the city's newest subdivision being built on Porter Creek's lower bench.

The roadway would have connected Mountainview Drive with the Alaska Highway.

Both YCS and the Friends of McIntyre Creek said in a joint statement today they are pleased the city took the time to review the matter and get the traffic study done which showed the road will not be required as part of Whistle Bend's next five stages.

Instead, portions of Mountainview Drive are expected to be upgraded and expanded – in some spots to four lanes – to accommodate the increased population, expected to be about 8,000 at full build-out.

A request for proposals on the road changes has been put out.

The widening of the road is suggested to happen in phases five and six of Whistle Bend.

The project has been divided into more phases, with phases three to five, and is now moving to phases three to eight.

Then there's still the centre portion of the neighbourhood to do, planning staff noted.

As planning manager Mike Gau pointed out at a press conference Friday about the road and further development initiatives, the subdivision is being planned in a way that would allow for employment opportunities there rather than having a lot of residents heading downtown for their jobs.

A recent increase in transit use could also help alleviate some of the traffic, he said. He also acknowleged it's impossible to predict exactly how things will play out in the new area.

Even with transit and work opportunities in the area, it's expected there will be an increase in travel time for those coming down Mountainview Drive toward Copper Road by an average of about five minutes, Doug McRae of Morrison Hershfield Ltd., which conducted the traffic study, said Friday by conference call.

Macdonald said this morning the society supports making changes to Mountainview Drive to accommodate the increased traffic on an existing road, though it will be watching to ensure the improvements are made appropriately.

They will have to go through the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board for recommendations, she pointed out, noting that Mountainview Drive also crosses the creek.

McIntyre Creek is important to much of the city's wildlife, Macdonald stressed. It's both as a habitat for local fish and birds and a corridor for larger mammals like moose and bears – as well as to the human population.

"People love seeing wildlife in that area,” she commented.

It serves residents who use the area for recreational pursuits such as walking, fishing and so on.

While YCS and the Friends of McIntyre Creek are pleased with the news on the road, they continue to question plans for the Porter Creek D residential development that would be in the McIntyre Creek area, south of Porter Creek between Mountainview Drive and the Alaska Highway.

"It's still a big question in our minds whether the City even needs Porter Creek D,” said Dorothy Bradley, president of the Friends of McIntyre Creek.

"There are twice as many housing units available today than there were at this time last year, mining activity is slowing and the tank farm is now being seriously considered for residential development.

"I think what this demonstrates is that there are still significant information gaps that need to be filled before any decisions can be made regarding Porter Creek D, and that there are many different, better solutions for development in our city.”

On Friday, the city announced it will soon begin consultations to plan for the area.

With the city's growth happening at a rate of about 2.5 per cent annually, Gau said, it's important to continue looking at where housing may go to keep up with demand.

With the amount of planning that happens for new subdivisions now, he said, it can take four or five years before lots come on the market for that area.

The city needs to keep the planning up so it doesn't fall behind in lot development, he said.

Even if growth slows, he said, the city should have the planning done for when the market picks up in order to avoid housing shortages.