The possibility of residential development at the Mountain View Golf Course has worked its way into the Whistle Bend discussions.

City council and senior management officials held a meeting Monday afternoon, focused on the latest draft for the Whistle Bend development on Porter Creek's lower bench.

City planners asked council members their thoughts on developing residential properties at the golf course, which borders the proposed subdivision.

"We had one meeting (with Mountain View officials) where they said, 'What's the appetite to explore that?'" planning manager Mike Gau said of the proposal.

There were few details on what a residential development at Mountain View would look like, such as the number and type of homes being considered.

As Gau pointed out, right now officials with the golf course are mainly interested in finding out whether there's any interest from the city and territory on the development.

Golf course representatives were clear that they would not be the developer if residential lots there went ahead, he said.

"I have no objection at looking (at it)," Coun. Dave Stockdale said.

Though Mayor Bev Buckway concurred with Stockdale and said council can certainly look at it, she noted there would be some residents would argue it would take away greenspace.

The golf course is currently on land leased from the city, with the site next to Whistle Bend envisioned originally as an area of expansion for the course, Coun. Doug Graham said.

"If the golf course now wants to build houses on that property, it's an altogether different kettle of fish," he said following last night's city council meeting.

"It's leased land, so you'd have to figure out some way of transferring it. There's a whole number, a whole host of different problems, that then come up."

What percentage of the initial development costs would Mountain View pay is also on the list of issues to be worked out before anything could happen, Graham pointed out.

Mountain View president Tom Amson said this morning the golf course has been involved with the Whistle Bend planning process from the start, with a board representative focused on the development.

Before any such development would happen, the golf course would need the support of the majority of its members, said Amson.

Moving forward with any such development would also depend largely on what benefits the golf course would get out of it, he added.

"We haven't had any kind of discussion like that," Amson said.

In an interview following Monday's noon meeting, project consultant Bill Corsan, of AECOM, said the possibility of lots at the golf course could be incorporated based on recommendations that come forward as the project heads into its final concept phase.

Pat Michael, who represents the golf course in the Whistle Bend discussions, said today he's unsure where the suggestion of residential sites on Mountain View are coming from.

There have been discussions on what role the golf course would play as the subdivision's next-door neighbour, he told the Star.

"We'd be looking at our entire lease and what the future might hold," he said, emphasizing the golf course doesn't have an interest in being a developer.

In the meetings he's been part of, there have been discussions about how the golf course land could fit with the new neighbourhood through trails that could link the two areas.

After the noon meeting, the consultants were set to host further meetings Monday, today and an open house tonight at the Old Firehall on First Avenue, from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

At each of those sessions, AECOM will display the latest plan for the neighbourhood.

Once again, he and other consultants will take comments from these sessions to develop the final concept plan that will come to council.

"We're very close to the end," Corsan said.

The next design will be very similar to the current one, with some minor tweaks and changes based on the input AECOM gets back, he said.

The neighbourhood features a grid pattern, with a main arterial road looping through it.

At the centre of the neighbourhood is a town square surrounded by mixed-use residential development.

A high school, two elementary schools, and a larger commercial area at the entrance also comprise the neighbourhood.

Throughout the community are residential lots ranging in density and green space is spread throughout.

While the proposal has come out of the public comments made during numerous planning charettes, open houses and meetings, Coun. Doug Graham continued to argue properties in the new neighbourhood - expected to house around 10,000 residents over 224 hectares - won't sell because of the small lot sizes being proposed, the largest being around 500 square metres.

The councillor noted he's been conducting an informal, admittedly unscientific, survey on what size lots people in the city want to buy.

"I haven't found anybody yet that would purchase or would think that it would be appropriate to purchase a lot less than 50 feet (15 metres) wide," he said following Monday night's city council meeting.

"For most people, it's impossible to understand why you would do it. It just doesn't make any sense, especially in this territory."

Those who want to downsize to smaller units with condo living also want a more central location in the city's downtown core, he said.

At the noon meeting, Buckway argued that housing has looked the same in Whitehorse for so long that it may be difficult to get some to buy into the proposed Whistle Bend development.

"I think this is great," she said.

As she noted though, the city asked for and received input on what people wanted in the development. The neighbourhood was then planned with those comments in mind.

While Buckway noted the city can't consider the opinion of those who don't speak up, Graham argued that's exactly who the city should be thinking of in planning developments like Whistle Bend.

"Let's think about the ordinary people," the councillor argued, pointing to the resident who just wants a lot so they can build their house.

Those who appear at the city consultations on developments are generally part of an organization with an interest in it, whether that be the construction industry or government.

Coun. Florence Roberts noted the benefit of the proposed nine phases of development for the neighbourhood.

With each phase developers can look at the previous phase and make changes if need be, she said.

During the later stages of development in Copper Ridge, for example, the lot sizes were enlarged in response to the demand.

The city will have a better idea of how smaller lots will sell when the properties at the new Ingram subdivision next to Arkell are put on the market, Graham said.

"If they sell, I'll be wrong," he said.

Following its meetings and open house on Whistle Bend tonight, AECOM will return to council with a final concept for adoption before going into the zoning and subdivision plans through the spring.

It's expected the first Whistle Bend lots will be put on the market in 2011.