Nearly 60 residents have stated their opposition to the rezoning of two Lambert Street properties in a petition to city council.

No one spoke at a public hearing during Monday’s city council meeting.

However, Valerie Anderson, the city’s acting director of corporate services, said the city received 58 signatures in a petition opposing the change for 102 and 104 Lambert St.

It also received two other written submissions – one in support and one expressing concerns with the proposal.

Yukon Wide Adventures, owned by Thomas de Jager, has brought forward the rezoning application, which would change the two properties from a Core Commercial to a Mixed Use Commercial zone so his business could operate there.

He’s proposing to renovate the three buildings on the site and move them to the front of the property. He has the approval of the properties’ owner.

Yukon Wide Adventure’s major touring and outdoor recreation vehicle rental operation would continue out of its Pilot Mountain site. The downtown location would serve as more of a secondary location that showcases what the company offers, booking tours and offering a few rentals.

The petition was signed by 24 residents of the Closeleigh Manor seniors’ building next door on Lambert Street in addition to 38 others living in various areas of the city.

It argues the buildings on the site should not be moved and instead be preserved and designated as a heritage site.

The proposal for equipment rentals should not be allowed, the petition argues.

“That would increase the traffic around our building,” it’s stated.

“There are many individuals in Closeleigh Manor who use walkers, and with the increase in traffic, this could be very dangerous for them.”

Having machines stored on the site creates more potential for theft and vandalism on the property, which in turn makes it unsafe for those using walkers in the area, the petition argues.

The proposal also sparked concerns over traffic and noise.

There were statements that both would increase, resulting in emergency services having a harder time getting to the area when there is a need and the noise level disturbing those living in the area.

“We also feel that there would be more gasoline and other supplies, and it would impact the air quality in our building as well as it would create more dust in the air,” the petition states.

It was pointed out in the petition that there’s also a potential for parking designated for Closeleigh Manor to be lost.

“We already have to watch our parking spaces, as many people do not consider it our parking lot, and continue to use it and thus take away our parking,” the petition reads.

“We get a lot of people who think they can park in our space whenever we leave them.”

The statement goes on to remind city officials that those living at Closeleigh Manor “are the seniors who have been here a long time and helped to make the city what it is, and would not like to see too many changes.”

Responding to the petition this morning, de Jager countered many of the issues brought up in the petition.

Parking, he said, would be provided on site.

With 90 per cent of his business coming from those arriving here by plane, he said, it’s not anticipated the business would have a major impact on traffic or parking in the area.

Plans for the downtown location would also see a forklift used to move the few off-road vehicles that may be rented there onto vehicles, thereby not requiring additional fuel onsite.

“I don’t need fuel,” he said.

Addressing the traffic and parking issue, he pointed out the current zoning of Core Commercial already allows for restaurants and bars on the site, which would likely bring more vehicles to the area than his shop would.

His plans would also see a property cleaned up and put to use with the historic buildings renovated.

de Jager was quick to point out that the buildings do not have heritage status – though they have heritage value – and there’s nothing precluding the owner from tearing them down.

The three log structures were built in the 1930s and 1940s by Martin Berrigan, who also built the Log Skyscrapers, designated as a heritage site in 2000.

de Jager stressed his plans would see the buildings moved within the site, placed at the front of the property to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

While one building would be renovated for office space, another would be used as a storefront for Yukon Wide Adventures with the third structure housing seasonal staff.

A fourth storage building is also proposed to be built at the back of the property.

A fence would also be put up around the site. There would also be a caretaker residence for staff to stay in providing a presence in the area.

“We’d make the area safer. I think it will be more to their favour,” he said of the plans and the impact it could have on area residents.

de Jager also expressed disappointment with the format of the public hearing.

While he had attended the hearing to respond to any concerns raised, he didn’t get to address the issues raised in the petition. That’s because they came forward as a written submission brought up after the hearing had formally closed.

A report on the hearing will come forward to council next week before a July 27 vote on second and third readings of the zoning change.

If council turns down the zoning request, de Jager said, he would back off of his plans for a second location and continue to operate entirely from the Pilot Mountain site.

Coun. Mike Gladish attended Monday’s meeting via conference call.