In what has become a political quagmire, members of Yukon's legislative assembly learned the proposed development area in Porter Creek falls smack dab in the middle of land that has been promised to Yukon College.

In a list of concerns from Porter Creek MLA Pat Duncan to the Yukon government (YTG) Thursday, Duncan pointed out that there were now three sets of plans for the area's greenbelt a protected park, college endowment lands and the development of 280-plus residential lot as proposed by the City of Whitehorse.

The area was designated for future development by the city in 1997.

Duncan pointed out that while the city has made development plans for the area and has been going through the public consultation process, the Minister of Education, John Edzerza, has promised the land to the college while the Minister of Community Services, Glenn Hart, is planning to hold consultations with area stakeholders to have the area protected.

'... Yukon College board of governors' minutes indicate the minister (Edzerza) has committed the land to them as endowment lands,' Duncan told Yukon MLAs Thursday.

'In fact, he has discussed this since 2003 and as recently as June of this year committed to bringing forward a cabinet submission that would transfer the land to the college,' Duncan stated.

'The government (also) committed to working with the City of Whitehorse to establish a consultation process involving first nation governments, Yukon College, City of Whitehorse and Porter Creek residents to protect the natural park area ....'

Duncan asked Hart what was actually going to happen with the land in light of all the different college, development and protection consultations scheduled or ongoing.

'My question again to the minister who actually develops the lots for the city (Hart) and who owns the land: does he intend to develop the lots as the city requests and ignore his cabinet colleague's commitment to transfer the land to the college?'

In response to Duncan's questions, Hart said he would be consulting with area stakeholders and then go to a public consultation to decide what is to be done with the land.

'...(W)e will be working with all the stakeholders in that region, including the City of Whitehorse, the first nations involved, the Department of Education and the college on what is going to happen with the endowment land or what is referred to as the endowment lands between Mountainview and Rabbit's Foot Canyon,' Hart said.

When contacted by the Star this morning, Mayor Ernie Bourassa said he had never been made aware of either Hart's or Edzerza's plans.

'Mr. Edzerza has never spoken to me on that issue ... (and) I've never had any correspondence from minister Edzerza or minster Hart on that issue.

'Certainly I'd hope they'd have the courtesy to inform us of this if this is what they have planned. If that's their intent, I'd like to know about it so we can stop wasting our time,' Bourassa said.

When questioned about the Whitehorse planning department's role in the quagmire, planning manager Lesley Cabott said her department had never been informed of the other promises made regarding the area and that her department only began making development plans after the Yukon government had completed a feasibility study of the area.

'The Yukon government did the initial feasibility studies of the area,' Cabott said, explaining that the city could only begin developing plans for the area with the support of the YTG.

'We've continued taking the lead (in the development proposal) in consultation with them,' Cabott said.

She said that while the ultimate decision on the land's use was up to the YTG, the city would only be able to recover the thousands of dollars invested thus far in the planning process if the development actually went forward.

'The planning dollars are recoverable from lot sales.'

This morning, Yukon College president Sally Webber confirmed that the proposed Porter Creek development does fall within lands promised as college endowment lands.

'I can confirm that the proposed Porter Creek development does fall within the boundaries of the proposed college endowment lands,' she said.

Webber said the topic was on the agenda for the Yukon College board of governors meeting scheduled to take place on Dec. 9 and 10.

Webber pointed out that endowment lands have been discussed since 1992 but that the college had deferred discussions in the 1990s pending the outcome of first nation land treaties.

The board's view is that the land will allow the college to grow, provide educational resources to the college, such as a boreal trail, and to allow for commercially viable land to provide a revenue stream for the college, Webber added.