In what can only be described as a squeaker, Whitehorse electors voted in favour of adopting a new green space bylaw by a margin of 71 votes in Thursday's referendum.

According to unofficial results published by the city, 1,118 citizens voted yes in the referendum on Bylaw 2006-11, while 1,047 voted no.

A total of 2,175 residents, out of 10,318 eligible voters, cast ballots, representing just 21 per cent of the electorate.

In an interview at city hall just minutes after the final results were posted, city councillor Bev Buckway said she was disappointed with the outcome but conceded the people had spoken.

'Well, this is democracy at its best. We had an individual who brought forward a petition, got 2,500 signatures and through the way democracy works, has managed to get a referendum in the City of Whitehorse,' she said.

'Unfortunately, we only had 21 per cent of voters turn out tonight. So we had fewer people vote than signed the petition.'

Bylaw 2006-11, the planning study bylaw, along with 2006-10, the referendum bylaw, resulted from a petition circulated between last November and February by the Porter Creek Community Association.

Bylaw 2006-11 requires all developers, private or otherwise, to draft a planning study, including a map outlining green space, for any new development in the city.

The green space map will then go to development-area residents for plebiscite (vote).

The plebiscite, according to city officials, is not binding on council and acts a as type of opinion poll.

Bylaw 2006-11 is now on the municipal books as a result of Thursday's referendum.

Bylaw 2006-10 was passed by council on June 12. It requires council to hold a city-wide referendum anytime an area designated as green space in the Official Community Plan is eyed for any other purpose.

In an interview at city hall Thursday evening, Carole Bookless, the president of the Porter Creek Community Association, said the referendum's outcome shows that green space requires a bigger blip on council's radar.

'I think this vote, because it's so close and so many people came out, shows that people are really interested in green space and protecting green space,' Bookless told the Star.

'I think this will send a message to the city that green space is a number one issue and not something that comes after everything else is done; it should come before.'

Coun. Jan Stick, also speaking from city hall Thursday, said she was let down by the outcome.

'I'm disappointed, and I'm disappointed on a number of levels. I'm disappointed with the turnout, I'm disappointed that basically 11 per cent of the electorate have voted this bylaw into place,' she said.

'I don't think it's a good bylaw ....'

Mayor Ernie Bourassa said while he doesn't agree with the results, council will now work on implementing the will of the people.

'It was a close vote.

'We'll live with the results; we'll do what we have to do now,' Bourassa said.

He said council will now be looking to sit down with Bookless and other referendum proponents to iron out what the bylaw will look like and who it will apply to.

'We need to sit down with the proponents and talk about compromises as to who this would apply to,' he said. '(The city is also) going to seek legal clarification on the issue.

'The world is not going to end; we'll deal with this issue.'

Coun. Doug Graham said he would have liked to see a higher voter turnout, but that yesterday's turnout was not unexpected.

'I don't think it was entirely unexpected; we knew voter turnout would be low,' he said.

'It was difficult to get people to get out and vote.'

Premier Dennis Fentie, Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang, who's responsible for land issues, and Robert Fendrick, the city's director of administrative services, could not be reached for comment.

The Yukon government is the city's primary land developer.

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