In the wake of concerns over the Whitehorse Copper development, the Yukon Government and Whitehorse city council are developing a new land development process, government officials say.

The two governments have had several meetings on the issue, the most recent being within the last two weeks, and will likely finalize an agreement sometime this fall.

Mayor Ernie Bourassa said the new process would likely see his municipal government take over the land development process from the YTG but maintain territorial government funding in the process.

'(In the past) the YTG was the landowner, they came up with the subdivision plan. Basically, it then came to council for the approval of the subdivision plan and the appropriate zoning,' he said.

He said the new process would be different.

'The design work will be paid for by the Yukon government. Our planning department will come up with the plan in consultation with the community and affected residents and we will then bring that plan forward to the government of the Yukon and once it's approved by council that is what we'll request that they develop,' Bourassa said.

Bourassa said the discussions between council and YTG were open-door discussions that were advertised in the paper, but that no members of the public were present during the talks.

'There was nobody there except for the government of the Yukon and city council.'

Bourassa's comments were made following Monday night's council meeting where members of city council effectively approved the controversial Whitehorse Copper subdivision, including the main access road which had been adamantly opposed by Wolf Creek-area residents.

During the meeting a number of councillors, including Jan Stick, Bev Buckway and Mel Stehelin, said they were not happy with the current process and would like to see it changed.

The new Whitehorse Copper subdivision will include the access road, referred to as the Meadow Lakes access road, 25 serviced industrial lots, 111 country residential lots and three parks.

According to YTG officials, the tendering process for construction will likely go ahead within the next several weeks with the first phases of construction breaking ground this fall.

YTG numbers estimate the lots will cost between $70,000 and $90,000.

YTG community development branch director Eric Magnuson said the amount of construction that will actually be possible now that the development has been approved by council will depend on a number of factors.

'We'll initiate construction this fall but how far we get depends on a number of factors (such as weather),' he said.

Magnuson confirmed that YTG has been in discussions with the mayor and council over the development process for several months and that a new development plan is in the works but has yet to be addressed by cabinet.

'There seemed to be an agreement on the way forward and we are drafting a paper based on these discussions.

'Once that (the paper) moves forward we're hoping to have it completed by fall,' he said.

Magnuson said both YTG and city officials were 'anxious' to get started on the planning process for a new development due to a demand for new lots in Whitehorse.

'The Copper development will likely be depleted in a year. A new development process could take as much as one or two years to complete,' he said.