The city's latest version of its Official Community Plan (OCP) has left the Yukon Conservation Society's (YCS's) wildlife co-ordinator wondering what the proposal for priority planning will mean for McIntyre Creek.

"It was a little unclear,” Maciej Stetkiewicz said in an interview this morning. He spoke after reviewing the public hearing report and proposed changes put to council at Monday evening's meeting.

Council will vote on whether to move ahead with second reading and the suggested changes next week.

The 20-page report addressed the 31 issues which came out of the public hearing held earlier this summer on the city's overall planning document.

The main goal of the YCS's suggestions for the OCP, Stetkiewicz said, was to protect the wildlife corridor around McIntyre Creek.

The proposed OCP suggests the area be used for residential development, known as the Porter Creek D area.

The amendment brought forward last night would see that and other areas being eyed for infill be identified for "priority planning” – essentially doing detailed plans of areas that have high public concern prior to development.

Exactly what shape that priority planning will take though and what details will be looked at are still unknown.

Stetkiewicz, a life-long Yukoner, said he hopes the YCS will be part of the planning process.

Jeff Marynowski, the president of the Porter Creek Community Association agrees. He argues there's no definition for priority planning, and wonders how residents can be assured all values will be considered when the city looks at detailed planning.

City manager Dennis Shewfelt noted, however, that city planners are "honour-bound” to look at all elements with other processes like the Yukon Environmental Socio-economic Assessment Act also playing a role in that.

Coun. Doug Graham added that it is dealt with in the Municipal Act as well.

Friends of McIntyre Creek president Dorothy Bradley said she hopes technical information and environmental research will also be drawn in, with that including the needs of local wildlife.

Others weren't so receptive to being part of the city planning process for the area.

Both Jocelyn Laveck and Gerry Steers noted their disappointment that the city is continuing to pursue the Porter Creek D development.

Over and over again, residents have told officials they don't want the area to be developed – only to have officials just come up with a different plan for development there, Steers said. That is why a number of residents don't have a lot of trust in the public process, she added.

Steers argued that even narrowing the wildlife corridor forces wildlife into the yards of residents.

Before urging council to protect greenspace, especially McIntyre Creek, Laveck said she hopes it's not "special interest groups” like contractors, the territory's realty association and other such groups that are influencing the city towards more and more development.

As Mayor Bev Buckway told reporters after last night's meeting though, it is the continued growth of Whitehorse that is creating the need for more lots, and driving up the prices of homes and property in the city.

The mayor pointed to a short presentation earlier in the evening by 10-year-old Joyce Goury. She told council that while "Whitehorse is a great place to live,” with rising costs, something has to be done about the housing situation.

Housing, Buckway said, is obviously a major issue for many.

A number of speakers argued the wildlife corridor around McIntyre Creek needs to be protected.

Bill Barnie commented it's an argument that has come forward many times previously until a wolf makes their way into the new neighbourhood and kills a pet. At that point, everyone wants the wolf shot.

He suggested more thought needs to be given on whether to focus on the wildlife corridor for McIntyre Creek or its recreational use, arguing that the two can't be mixed.

Concerns for the area also extended into traffic through the wetlands, with Bradley calling on the city to take action on ATV use.

"They are damaging the wetlands,” she said, arguing as well mountain bikes can also have an impact as the wheels create small ditches that can become bigger if there's rain.

While the city has no proposals on mountain bike use, it did bring forward a policy for the OCP that would see the city work with the territory on regulations around ATV activity.

Council will vote next week on whether to approve second reading of the OCP with the amendments brought forward last night.

If second reading is approved, the document will then go to the territory for ministerial approval before coming back to council in the fall for third reading and adoption.