City council is being asked to approve two multi-unit housing developments downtown requiring special permission from city hall.

The application received from the Alpine Bakery and Suat Tuzlak involves a five-unit affordable housing initiative on a single lot at the southwest corner of Seventh Avenue and Jarvis Street.

Narrow Gauge Construction is seeking the conditional use approval for an eight-unit development on two lots along Ogilive Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues.

City planning manager Mike Gau told city council at its meeting Monday night both developments require conditional use approval because they are being built on lots zoned for single-family or duplex units.

The lots, however, also provide for multi-family developments with city council's permission, he said.

Gau said the proposals conform with all other requirements, such as provisions for parking, height restrictions and design features preferable to maintain the "old town” character.

Neighbouring residents of both proposed developments have been sent letters regarding the applications, it was pointed out to council.

The public will be given an opportunity to address city council on both proposals at next Monday's regular meeting.

Gau told council the city approved three similar requests in 2008, one in 2009 and one in 2010.

The owner of the Alpine Bakery said he's planning a rental development based on a sustainable living model featuring common areas to promote interaction between residents of the building with three floors.

The $5,000 to $10,000 in funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is helping design the sustainable model and business plan, but there would be nothing toward the cost of construction, he said.

Tuzlak emphasized the affordability in the project comes with the size of the units, and not through any subsidy or reduction in construction costs.

As someone who lives on his own, said Tuzlak, he understands how hard it is to find housing in Whitehorse.

He said he plans to live in the smallest of the five units, measuring out at 420 square feet. Only the largest of the five – 942 square feet – would have a washer and dryer, Tuzlak pointed out.

He said there would be a common area with two washers and one dryer along with a common work bench in the basement. Providing one dryer for the four units, he said, would promote the use of drying racks and clothes lines.

There would be another common area with a small brick fireplace where residents of the building could get together and bake and hold potluck meals, he said.

Tuzlak said the proposal includes a common greenhouse and gardens, and a cold storage root cellar to keep potatoes, parsnips and other food products grown on the property.

The intent is to promote a community and sustainable atmosphere in the building, unlike the typical condo setting where you might bump into your neighbour in the hallway but that's about it, he said.

Tuzlak acknowledges finding the right mix of tenants might take some doing.

"It will not be a typical condominium owner who locks the door and does not want to be worried about snow removal or cutting the lawn,” he said. "It will be just the opposite.

"I will be asking for people who like these things, and like to share, and of course, interact.”

Tuzlak said if city council approves his application, there's a good chance the five-plex would go up this summer.

Narrow Gauge is planning to sell each of the eight units.