The potential rezoning of the former site of the Macaulay Lodge extended care facility at Klondike Road and Lewes Boulevard is continuing to advance through the city bylaw process.

The Yukon government wants to sell the property, which includes a lot that was formerly designated as greenbelt but was built upon decades ago.

It is asking the city to rezone the five lots comprising the property to allow for a boundary alignment and consolidation of five lots.

The government intends to sell the property once the zoning and consolidation are complete, says the administrative report prepared for city council’s meeting 
last Monday.

The report notes a mixed-use building on the site is contemplated, containing both commercial space and residential uses.

The site falls within the urban centre of the Riverdale neighbourhood.

Under the city’s Official Community Plan, new residential uses within urban centres must be located in mixed-use buildings.

As currently proposed, the zoning amendment bylaw would require that a mixed-use building include commercial uses and allow residential uses, with commercial uses on the ground floor and residential uses on upper floors.

It would not prevent a stand-alone commercial use, a single-storey building with multiple commercial uses, or a multi-storey building with a single commercial use, from being developed on the site, says the administrative report.

But the proposed amendment to the zoning bylaw would require any commercial use must be accompanied by the development of an allowable residential use.

It also states supportive housing is permitted as a secondary use.

Commercial uses would not be allowed above the first storey, except for home-based businesses in residential uses. Gas bars would not be allowed.

Council has hosted two public hearings on the proposed zoning amendment.

The administrative report recommends the bylaw amendment be brought forward for second and third reading.

The report also notes members of council previously raised the issue of traffic and its impact.

A Traffic Impact Assessment is not being considered at this time, given the size of the potential development, says the report.

The Zoning Bylaw requires traffic impact be taken into consideration during zoning amendments to identify issues and opportunities such as pedestrian crossings and the location of access.

The administrative report notes a single lot of this size would not typically trigger a broad neighbourhood Traffic Im-
pact Assessment.

It would only address access into and out of the site, and the impact of the development would have on nearby intersections.

The report notes a broad Traffic Impact Assessment is only typically required for major new developments, such as the next phase of the the Whistle 
Bend subdivision.

“Given the range and scale of uses permitted in the proposed zoning, it is recommended that a Traffic Impact Assessment is considered as part of the Development Permit stage if necessary,” says the administrative report.

“At that stage, specific uses and their intensity will be proposed which allows the development officer to better assess whether or not a TIA is consider-
ed necessary.”

The former Macaulay Lodge began serving residents in 1969.