When Erin Deacon talks about developing more areas around Porter Creek, she makes it clear she questions building homes in the McIntyre Creek area.

Unlike many who turned up to a public meeting Wednesday evening, however, she has no problem with the five potential infill sites the city is proposing for Porter Creek and Crestview.

"This I absolutely agree with,” she said in an interview during the meeting held in the gym of Jack Hulland Elementary School as she filled out a comment form on the topic.

Deacon was one of 97 people who turned out for the session. It was held by the city to outline the possible plans for the five sites to allow for residential development, with lots expected to be sold this year.

Over the years, Deacon said, she has often wondered why housing wasn't added to the sites proposed, knowing a number of people interested in getting a lot in the neighbourhood.

As she pointed out, Porter Creek is a great location, being only eight minutes from downtown and with wilderness close by, even when the infill proposal is considered.

While Deacon spoke in favour of the development, she also noted her support comes with the condition that the lots are built similar to others in each area proposed. In most areas, that would mean larger, long lots housing single-family or duplex-style homes.

Others, however, were firm in voicing their opposition to the plans.

"It doesn't make sense to me,” Val Pike said as she stood in front of a map showing the 6,000-square-metre site on the south side of Boxwood Crescent that would have to be rezoned from Environmental Protection to a residential zone to allow for infill.

Pike and her husband bought their home across the street from the site in 2002. A big part of their decision to purchase came from the fact they were living across from an area they were informed would stay protected.

David Millar, who lives next door to the site, said he also wants to see the area left as is; one of his biggest concerns being the loss of mature trees to the bulldozer's blade.

If the city sells it off, developers would likely clear-cut the lots and plant younger trees, Millar pointed out.

"I just don't like it,” he said.

If the city continues moving toward development of the site, he said, he hopes to buy the lot next door and apply to have it zoned back to Environmental Protection to keep those trees.

The 4,500-square-metre site identified in Crestview at Rainbow Road and Klukshu Avenue is also under the same zoning.

City planner Mike Ellis has previously stated the two sites were zoned that way years ago because of their proximity to other environmentally protected land nearby.

The three other sites would also require rezoning to host homes, with the 3,000 square metres at 12th Avenue and Centennial Street and the 7,200 square metres at the north end of Elm Street zoned as Greenbelt.

The 4,000 square metres on 14th Avenue next to the Guild Hall are zoned as Public Services.

Much like Pike and Millar in their neighbourhood, Dawn Beauchemin wants to see the site closest to her home on Elm Street retain its current zoning, though she has her doubts about the city genuinely listening to residents' concerns.

"To me, this is just a formality,” she said of the meeting. The city hosted it simply to fulfill obligations that it consult residents, Beauchemin argued.

Asked why she had come to the meeting then, Beauchemin replied if she didn't speak up, no one would hear her.

Originally from Burnaby, B.C., Beauchemin moved to the territory to elude crowds down south. Now, she feels, it seems Whitehorse residents are being forced into more crowded living.

People moved here to get away from that, she stressed.

"That's why we're up here,” she said. She argues there's enough space in Whistle Bend, the next major site for residential development in Porter Creek's lower bench to accommodate the space they want to fill in through existing Porter Creek.

While many opposed the plans, city planner Ben Campbell said he heard a "mixed bag” of reactions.

He believes about half support and half oppose the infill, similar to the comments received before Wednesday night's meeting was held.

The Boxwood Crescent and Elm Street plans seemed to generate a lot of interest. Many people noted their recreational use of the area, which includes Hidden Lake near Boxwood and a small creek in the Elm Street area.

Residents were also invited to fill in a comment form about their thoughts on each infill site. The city asked what type of development they prefer, inviting residents to sketch out their design and provide any further comments.

Residents have until Feb. 16 to turn in their forms or provide letters on their thoughts about the infill.

They can be e-mailed to ben.campbell@whitehorse.ca, faxed to Campbell's attention at 668-8395 or handed in at the Municipal Services Building on Fourth Avenue.

After that, planners will compile the results and present them to council members at a council and senior management meeting

Along with looking at the responses, council will discuss whether to move forward on any rezoning and what zones they may be, or perhaps even not proceeding with the infill for some of the sites depending on input, Campbell said.

A second public meeting to report the results and bring forward any potential zones being considered has been scheduled for from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 22 at Porter Creek Secondary School.

Any rezoning of the sites would likely be considered by council in March and April. Campbell pointed out that would provide another opportunity to residents to speak up on it, with a public hearing before council being part of any rezoning process.

If the rezoning goes ahead, subdivision of the proposed new lots would follow before the project is turned over to the engineering department to design roads and services.

After that, the lots' potential construction would likely follow later in the summer and into the fall, when properties would go on sale through a lottery.