It came as little surprise to Mayor Bev Buckway Monday night when more than a dozen residents told city council they don't want to see more residential development in the green spaces and environmentally protected areas of Porter Creek and Crestview.

The speakers were joined by about 50 more people in council chambers for a public hearing on the infill plans, many of them out to show their support for those opposing the plans.

Applause arose among the gallery during Gerry Steers' presentation when she questioned why residents of the two neighbourhoods should have to make sacrifices for the city's mistake.

As she pointed out, Whistle Bend – the next major residential subdivision for the city – should have been started in 2010.

"Whistle Bend was supposed to cover us (for housing),” she argued.

Steers, who lives on Boxwood Crescent near one of the sites, has spoken out against the infill plans since they were proposed. When she bought her property in 1993, she did so because it was across the street from a site zoned Environmental Protection (PE).

Obviously, some study would have been done to show the area needs to be protected. Now, all of a sudden, that has changed, Steers told council.

"This has got me totally confused,” she said.

City officials have previously stated the areas up for rezoning that are currently PE, such as the property on the south side of Boxwood Street, were zoned as such because of their close proximity to other environmentally protected land.

The five infill sites are being proposed as a way to address the housing crunch in Whitehorse.

Along with rezoning the Boxwood site from PE to Residential Single Detached (RS), land at Rainbow Road and Klukshu would also lose its protected zoning in favour of RS and Parks and Recreation (PR).

Moving from a Greenbelt zone (PG) to RS would be the land at 12th Avenue and Centennial Street, while land behind the Guild Hall would change from Public Services (PS) to Restricted Residential Detached (RR).

Finally, land on the north end of Elm Street would keep part of its RS zoning with a Residential Multiple Housing added as well.

At 14th Avenue and Elm Street, rezoning would move another way from RS to PR to make way for a new park aimed at replacing the playground that will be lost if the rezoning next to the Guild Hall goes ahead.

While the need for housing has continued to be highlighted by city officials, last night, residents like Cam Koss pointed to a number of homes that are for sale in Porter Creek alone, suggesting the city is under a "false pressure” to develop new lots.

Under questioning by Dave Stockdale, Koss conceded there isn't a lot of variety, and that's why it's so expensive. He also argued there are a number of dilapidated properties around the city that could be redeveloped.

His presentation was also met with the applause of the standing-room only audience in the gallery.

Others, including representatives from both the Porter Creek and Crestview community associations, continued to state their opposition to the plans, pleading with council to keep the character of their neighbourhoods by not going ahead with the rezoning.

"I don't know why you would applaud the value of Environmental Protection zoning on one hand and disrespect it on another hand,” said Bruce Fast, a resident of Rainbow Road in Crestview.

As far as the Crestview Community Association can tell, Environmental Protection only means it's not developed yet, said the association's secretary, Margaret Donnelly.

"Don't take away our green spaces,” Michael Jansen told council.

Jansen is a Riverdale resident whose immediate neighbourhood wouldn't be affected by the city's current infill plans, However, he told council Riverdale residents have been criticized in the past for not taking up the cause of their counterparts in Porter Creek and Crestview.

Residents, he said, love their neighbourhoods as they are, Jansen said.

Like Steers, he suggested the city should be focusing more on subdivisions like Whistle Bend.

The comments continued to stream into council over the loss of greenspace and changes to the neighbourhoods many residents believe would be inevitable if the rezoning goes ahead.

Along with what they heard last night, council members will also read 27 written submissions on the issue, all expressing concerns with the plans.

As Buckway told reporters following the meeting, such opposition to proposed infill in any neighbourhood is common.

Council, however, has to look at the bigger picture of the entire city when it considers such issues, she stressed.

The city is addressing concerns of the business community, which has argued prospective employees who want to move here have no places to buy.

Questioned about Koss' argument that there are indeed some homes for sale, Buckway argued that the seven or so homes listed can't be described as many on the market.

While the formal public hearing is now finished, Buckway said, residents are still welcome to send their comments into the city.

A public hearing report will come forward next week prior to council's vote on the matter at the April 18 council meeting.