Before ground can be broken on the massive expansion planned for the MacBride Museum of Yukon History, the city will have to sign off on zoning changes and an encroachment agreement, a process that will take at least into late October.

The museum’s executive director Patricia Cunning and board member Celia Petter addressed council Tuesday night seeking the changes that will allow the 19,000-square -foot addition to proceed.

The concept for the museum was presented last week during a funding announcement at MacBride by the territorial and federal governments, which are each contributing $3 million over the two years it’s planned to be built.

As Cunning pointed out at last night’s meeting, typically government funding for such projects would see a financial contribution from the city as well. In this case though the territory and federal governments opted to put up with the capital knowing the city funding was not available. Rather, the museum is seeking an in-kind contribution from the city.

Along with asking for the zoning changes, MacBride officials want an encroachment agreement that would allow part of the building’s foundation to be built along the side of Steele Street as well as the building’s second story to project over the sidewalk. MacBride officials are also asking for the city’s in-kind support on the annual encroachment fee. The fee is based on the amount of land being encroached and its value, putting the current fee estimate at more than $4,000.

On the zoning, meanwhile, the museum is seeking a spot zone that would allow it to build up to the property line on Front Street (there is currently a one-metre setback), remove parking restrictions that require two on-site parking spots as well as to remove waterfront design restrictions for the building.

“The project is shovel-ready,” Cunning said, noting that all it needs now is the city approval.

Allowing the museum to build to the property line will mean easier access for all visitors as the plans include an entrance at ground level, Cunning explained.

Both she and Petter highlighted the limited space available on the 2,236-square-metre lot. That makes it difficult to build while still providing two parking spots on-site.

“The only real building option is up,” Petter said, pointing out the museum doesn’t need a lot of parking as many visitors walk to there from local hotels.

The proposal would not meet the design guidelines for waterfront properties including that upper levels be recessed and that new larger construction along a street have the appearance of several smaller buildings rather than one larger one. It does meet the other requirements and, as Cunning noted, work has been done to give it the appearance of the warehouses that were once commonplace in the area.

As it was noted in a report by planning manager Pat Ross: “The applicant suggests that the proposal meets the intent of the guidelines, albeit through a varied design approach. For example, instead of recessing upper storys, the second and third floors would protrude over Front Street. This would provide some weather protection for pedestrians and would draw attention to the ground level features such as the Telegraph Office and the museum’s storefront displays.”

As Cunning said of the waterfront design when questioned by Coun. Betty Irwin: “We feel comfortable that we have met those (overall).”

Council will vote next week on whether to move ahead with first reading on each the zoning and encroachment.

If first reading of the zoning passes, a public hearing will be held at council’s Oct. 11 meeting. Though no public hearing is required for the encroachment, Ross proposed a schedule that would potentially see council vote on second and third reading for that at the same meeting the final two readings of the zoning is voted on – Oct. 24.

As Ross explained in his report: “The encroachment agreement cannot proceed without the requested zoning amendment being adopted. Therefore, administration proposes that third reading of this bylaw be scheduled to coincide with third reading of the zoning amendment bylaw.”

While the vote on first reading for each will happen next week, Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu said at some point in the near future she’d like a council and senior management meeting held where members could have a more detailed look at the project, the implications of zoning and encroachment decisions and so on.

“There’s so many moving parts,” she said as the request for the meeting was made to city management.

Coun. Samson Hartland, meanwhile, noted he’s interested in hearing the public’s reaction to the proposal in the coming weeks as council considers the project.

Mayor Dan Curtis and Coun. Dan Boyd were absent from last night’s council meeting.