What two residents are touting as progress, others are calling an eyesore in the city's Old Town neighbourhood.

City council held a public hearing Monday evening that attracted a large crowd of nay-sayers about a proposed two-storey triplex development at 802 Wheeler St.

"This is huge compared to everything else that's there; it's too blingy," said opposed resident Gord Bradshaw, who owns a home at 806 Wheeler St.

The Urban Dictionary, an online resource that defines modern slang, defines blingy as, "Shining, glistening, sparkling."

Of the five residents who did speak at the public hearing, all were opposed for reasons of degrading the character of Old Town and a reduction in privacy and sunlight for neighbours.

The proponents, David MacLellan and Barbara Adam, would see three two-bedroom units be erected: one for the proponents, one for their daughter, and a third unit to sell.

Frances Landreth, who lives right next-door to the development site, said the triplex would have "a huge impact on my life.

"This is what I have to look forward to: no sun, no privacy and increased traffic," she told council. The triplex would sit at the corner of Wheeler Street and Eighth Avenue.

"The unit facing Wheeler Street, that's the one that's going to annihilate my sun," Landreth said.

Coun. Dave Stockdale asked MacLellan if any sunlight projection studies had been performed, to determine whether sunlight would be cut off from reaching neighbours' homes.

MacLellan said he is sure afternoon sunlight would still reach the Wheeler Street side of the development, to which Landreth shook her head "no."

"I've been watching the sun and I don't see that we'd be shading our neighbour's home," said Adam.

MacLellan said the building's highest point would reach 8.1 metres (27 feet).

Residents told council this is too high, and the "modern" design would not be fluid with Old Town's style.

"It's quite radical, compared to its neigbours," said Bradshaw.

"It looks to me like an office building," said Abe Lowry. "It's a great-looking building, but I don't think it fits the downtown neighbourhood."

Currently at 802 Wheeler St. there sits a duplex that one neighbour characterized as a drug house.

"I support a new building; the one there is for crack heads to break into and do their thing," said Heather Kennedy.

She said she lives right across from the development site and is sick of seeing needles and other drug paraphernalia littering the alleys around her neighbourhood.

Her only reservation, she said, was wondering whether the site would be subdivided into three lots, or condominiumized.

MacLellan's proposal answers that the latter would be the case.

Stockdale echoed a need to replace some of the older buildings in Old Town.

"The houses are old and 20 years from now, they'll need to be replaced," he said. Though change may be resisted by long-time residents of the neighbourhood, it is unavoidable, he said.

"It's difficult to be the first person in an old neighbourhood to do something new," said Adam.

The proponents said they are excited about the triplex, and are hoping it will be seen as an attractive, sustainable addition to the downtown landscape.

"We just think it's more sustainable, and more environmentally sound,' said MacLellan.

Indeed, city council and planners have trumpeted a shift toward higher-density living accommodations in the downtown core. Single-family homes will not be part of downtown Whitehorse's future, said Stockdale.

During the Downtown Plan process, residents had expressed a general opposition to high-density multi-family residences in Old Town.

Multiple Housing was left as a conditional use in the neighbourhood. In their application, MacLellan and Adam are asking the city to grant their request for a conditional use at 802 Wheeler, which would allow for a triplex.

The development site has two front yards, being a corner lot, and the applicants have proposed to use both front yards to spread out their development.

Zoning bylaws state the triplex can go as close to the curb as 4.6 metres, as long as off-street parking is provided. Indeed, MacLellan and Adam have said parking at the building's rear would be provided.

This irked one resident.

"It's long, it'll be pulled out right to the Eighth Avenue property line, sticking out at the front yard and the back yard," said Ernie Buckle.

Following the public hearing, which is now closed, a report on public feedback will be presented at the March 3 standing committee meeting.