Takhini West residents will have to wait an extra couple of weeks to find out whether city council will permit a lot to be rezoned to allow for a multi-residential development.

At its Monday evening meeting, council voted to defer the rezoning after hearing from numerous residents who spoke out against the proposed development.

The rezoning of 26 Normandy Rd. would allow for a 40-unit apartment or townhouse development, though the developers have indicated they plan a 32-unit development.

Many Takhini West residents argued such a massive housing project isn't in keeping with the character of the neighbourhood and would lead to more traffic and other issues.

Prior to voting on the motion to defer, proposed by Coun. Dave Stockdale, Coun. Doug Graham said that while he's in favour of development, he believes it should be done in a responsible manner.

Some concerns which continued to come up were 'very valid and realistic,' he said, though he noted others made him wonder where the arguments came from. He noted the neighbourhood doesn't appear to be against reasonable development done in a well-thought-out way.

Graham said he'd like to see the developers work with the neighbourhood. He was willing to defer the matter until the developers met with the planning department and newly-formed neighbourhood association.

If the developer isn't willing to work with local residents on it, he said, he wasn't willing to go ahead with the rezoning.

It was then that Stockdale proposed the motion to defer.

The vote was met with applause from members of the public gallery, many whom live in Takhini West.

Prior to council's discussion on the matter, approximately a half-dozen delegates spoke out against the development of a multi-residential project.

'We're not against development; we'd just like to have a say in what it's going to be,' Bruce Bengert told council.

He pointed to other zoning matters where council had voted to rezone a property for one particular project only to have it become something else, like the new supermarket in Granger that was originally rezoned for a neighbourhood restaurant.

Bengert also suggested the 26 Normandy Rd. proposal could end up being a 'stand-alone community' rather than the overall community that area residents want in the neighbourhood.

'It would be like the (Whitehorse Correctional Centre) jail or the (Yukon) college,' he suggested of an access proposal that would see the entrance from the north portion of the property.

Derek McKay argued the site is better suited to single-residential properties. Even a 26-unit apartment building would change the demographic of the neighbourhood, he said, noting apartment dwellers tend to be more transient.

Others, like David Amirault, pointed to the community spirit that's developed in the neighbourhood over the years.

Stephanie Churchill questioned whether an area development scheme or neighbourhood plan had been created, as the city's Official Community Plan suggests should be done.

'This issue has certainly galvanized our neighbourhood,' she said, before introducing members of the new neighbourhood association for the area.

While a number spoke out against the development, Beat Kunzle suggested there's at least one more resident who's opposed as well.

He reported his neighbour didn't show up because that person doesn't believe in council.

After the city talks to the developers about working with the neighbourhood on the matter, it will come back to council for a vote on the rezoning in two weeks.

The developers have declined to identify themselves publicly.

They have been represented at council meetings by Ian Robertson of Inukshuk Planning and Design of Whitehorse.

At one time, most of the Second World War-era houses in Takhini were owned by the federal government for employees to live in. During the last decade, many were sold off and refurbished by private householders, and new homes have been built in the subdivision.