The owners of the Meadow Lakes Golf Course have teed off on their plans for a proposed housing development next to the course, but it's far from a hole in one.

City council voted 4-1 Monday evening in favour of third reading for an amendment to the Official Community Plan (OCP) concerning the property, one of the first steps in the process.

There's also a zoning amendment, subdivision approval and negotiating with the territory to buy the land before any physical work could even begin on the project.

'We've got a long way to go,' Meadow Lakes co-owner Jeff Luehmann said following Monday night's vote, though he noted earlier he was pleased to make it through the first hurdle in the process.

'It's great. It's been a long time coming,' he said.

The proposal would see 23.6 hectares of land held in a lease by Meadow Lakes, originally set for a golf course extension, developed into 27 country residential properties.

Luehmann has stated the move to residential property is a business decision; that the market won't support another nine holes of golf at the course, located in the Wolf Creek-Pineridge subdivision area.

Coun. Doug Graham, the lone vote against the amendment to the OCP, said he had supported the current lease to Meadow Lakes, which allowed for it to be developed into an 18-hole golf course.

Now, he argued, there is a proposal to change that, and no one is getting a fair chance at obtaining the land, which will now be used as it was originally proposed.

Nobody has a chance to get that land fairly, and that's not right, the councillor said.

When the Kwanlin Dun First Nation was interested in the land originally, officials were then told it was to be used for a golf course, Graham recalled.

The first nation objected to the plan through the Yukon Environmental Socioeconomic Assessment Board. The first nation stated it had been told by the territorial government the land couldn't be designated for land claims because it was set aside for another nine holes of golf.

'Think about the people and what's fair,' Graham advised his colleagues prior to the vote.

He also recalled previous statements from Coun. Dave Stockdale on a separate issue that citizens are fed up with designations and zoning being changed by council once a plan is made.

In this case, though, Stockdale argued, there are certain circumstances where council has to deviate from the original plan. It will make the nine-hole golf course more viable, he said.

With the only access to the proposed residential area through the golf course, it makes sense that Meadow Lakes would be granted the right to the land rather than making it available through a public tender, Stockdale continued.

Meadow Lakes already has a lease in place for the property, said Coun. Mel Stehelin, after arguing the city needs of building lots.

'The horse is out, the gates are open,' he said.

Mayor Ernie Bourassa and Coun. Jan Stick were away from last night's vote.

Luehmann said that based on its outcome, he thinks he'll likely have six out of the seven council members support the zoning amendment, which will be the next step in the process.

He's already filed the application to change the zoning to allow for a restricted residential development.

'I'm pretty confident now,' he said.

No work is expected to begin on the property this year. In an optimistic world, said Luehmann, it could be the fall -ñand hopefully before October's municipal elections by the time all of the approvals are made for the plan to proceed.

What's also unknown is just how a new green space bylaw will impact the development.

In a June referendum, Whitehorse voters elected to adopt the bylaw which requires all developers to do a planning study, which includes a green space map, for any new development projects in Whitehorse.

That then goes to a non-binding plebiscite for area residents.

Luehmann pointed out that because his project was going through council prior to the referendum, he would like to think it will be grandfathered in under the pre-referendum process.

If Meadow Lakes is required to go through the green space bylaw, it could put development costs 'over the top,' he said.

The costs are currently estimated in the range of $1.5 million and $2 million, excluding the cost of the land.

'I hope it's a realistic price,' Luehmann said of how much the territory could charge for the land sale.

So far, he's heard appraisals have ranged from $117,000 to $158,000.

He's unsure how the territory will determine the cost.