Subdivision can go ahead for two properties in the Whitehorse Copper neighbourhood, city council decided Monday night.

Future applications for splitting country residential land will likely be on hold pending studies into the affects of densification, however.

Two applications for rezoning properties in the Whitehorse Copper area were voted on Monday meeting.

The land needed to be rezoned from Country Residential 1 to Country Residential 2 so the lots would meet the size requirements post-subdivision.

City administration recommended the applications be denied.

Officials noted the city had received a number of applications and inquiries regarding subdivision and that the effects of densification in country residential areas are largely unknown.

Administration recommended hydrogeological studies be conducted at cost to the property owners.

Carrie Stahl argued her family's application to rezone and subdivide their land should not be affected by what others want to do with their properties.

"The existing rezoning bylaw is quite specific that applications are considered on a case-by-case basis,” Stahl told council Monday.

"We request that our application be considered on its own merits.”

Stahl and her family intend to subdivide their 1.2-hectare property and continue living on the northern portion of the lot.

Penalizing property owners who have done due diligence in obtaining all the information necessary for the rezoning application is unfair, some councillors argued.

"What we're trying to do here is change the rules in the middle of a horse race,” Mayor Bev Buckway said. "Whether we have concerns about what's down the road or not, they do meet the requirements as laid out.”

Buckway recommended the two applications be approved and the city look at conducting studies in the area before any future applications be considered.

Coun. Betty Irwin said she was "really opposed” to the subdivision "on a lot of grounds”, but agreed that denying the two applications before council at Monday's meeting would be unfair.

"There are some long-term issues we need to look at, but at this point, they've done it all right,” Irwin said.

Other councillors disagreed, however.

Coun. Doug Graham said he wants to see results from a hydrogeolocial study before any more development is done in the area.

When the original Whitehorse Copper lots went in, there was "a great deal of consternation” about the water supply, and the lots were purposefully made a certain size to address that.

"I think if we go ahead with this, we'll be going against what was decided at that time,” Graham said.

Subdividing country residential lots was never an intention of the Official Community Plan, Coun. Dave Stockdale argued.

Subdivision would alter the neighbourhood's make-up, Coun. Florence Roberts agreed.

"If we go ahead and subdivide the country residential lots into city lot sizes, then we're defeating the purpose of country residential neighbourhoods,” she said.

However, Roberts conceded that the applicants shouldn't be penalized for "what (the city) should have done in the first place”, in conducting studies about water quality and availability in the area.

When it came to the vote, Buckway, Irwin, Roberts and Coun. Dave Austin all supported the two applications for rezoning.

Stockdale and Graham were both opposed. Coun. Ranj Pillai was absent from the meeting.

By Gemma Karstens-Smith

Star Reporter