The city could allow larger retail outlets along the Alaska Highway, at least where the highway intersects with Hamilton Boulevard.

Long-time Yukoner Lorne Metropolit owns 18 lots there that helped make up his former Yukon Gardens site.

Metropolit, who acquired the land in the 1980s, has applied to the city to amend the Highway Commercial (CH) zoning to a restricted CH zone.

That designation would allow retail developments to be up to 1,500 square metres rather than the current maximum floor space of 500 square metres for retail outlets on the highway.

Pat Ross, the city's land development officer, brought forward the zoning amendment at Monday evening's city council meeting.

He suggested that before council votes on first reading of the rezoning bylaw, there may be amendments brought forward so that only some of the lots would be rezoned.

For now though, the application is for all of the 18 remaining lots at the former Yukon Gardens site. Originally there were 20, but one has already been sold. Another was handed over to the city as the Public Use Land Dedication required with a subdivision.

"To make the remaining 18 lots more commercially viable, Lorne Metropolit, the owner of Yukon Gardens, has now applied to remove the zoning regulation which sets the maximum floor area for general retail service at 500 square metres,” Ross stated in his report to council.

A 1,500-square-metre retail site would be about the same size as the Super A stores in Riverdale and Porter Creek, Ross explained.

The 500-square-metre limit was placed on highway developments as a way to keep them compact, acting as local convenience centres for highway travellers.

By its location though, any retail outlet set up at the former Yukon Gardens site may serve not only highway travellers, but residents in areas like Granger and Copper Ridge who travel the Hamilton Boulevard extension to get home.

"As such, this location may be well-suited to function as a larger commercial node which provides services to local residents,” notes Ross' report.

The situation was also not lost on Coun. Ranj Pillai. He pointed out it appears the 500-square-metre floor limit was developed with sustainability in mind to keep larger-scale developments off the highway.

Now, however, the addition of the Hamilton Boulevard extension means a commercial hub there could add to the city's sustainability efforts by having services closer to residential areas, he said.

Ross then said the initial restriction was put in place to try to constrain larger retail development. It is now becoming more difficult, though, for developers to find such vacant lots downtown to accommodate their plans, he said.

Coun. Dave Austin viewed the proposal as "a great idea” with the sites already zoned for commercial activity. Others, however, had further concerns, with Councillors Betty Irwin and Florence Roberts pointing to issues around water use and sewer services in the area.

"The nearest water and sewer can be found at the (Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International) Airport and at the Copper Ridge area,” reads the report.

"As such, any development on this site needs to be on a well or water delivery service with a septic field to handle sewage requirements.”

Roberts also wondered about just how many lots could build developments to 1,500 square metres, given other factors with each property.

As Ross said, more than zoning is needed to accommodate the maximum size structure. By lot size, he said, there may be three properties that could accommodate a 1,500-square-metre building, not taking into account topography and other restraints.

Developers could also consolidate lots to build a structure to the maximum size, it was also noted.

Council is scheduled to vote next Monday on first reading of the rezoning.

If that goes ahead, a public hearing would be held at council's July 26 meeting where anyone could address the city on it.

A staff report on the hearing would then come forward to council before members vote on second and third readings, likely on Aug. 9.

Coun. Doug Graham was absent from Monday's meeting.