Attempts to appease development concerns held by the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club (WCCSC) in the Raven's Ridge housing debate have been unsuccessful, says developer Mark Radke.

At a public hearing on the development Monday night, Radke, the Raven's Ridge developer, said he and his partner offered to relocate, at their own expense, 150 metres of the WCCSC's 10-kilometre trail that crosses their property but had their offer refused.

'Ten days ago, I met with Mr. Curtis and I provided a written offer to the ski club ... they chose not to take it,' Radke told council.

Raven's Ridge is a development proposal by Radke and partner Eric Nyland, who purchased the area between to the Mount McIntyre ski trails and the McIntyre wetlands next to the Fish Lake Road near the Alaska Highway in 1998.

The entire parcel of land owned by Nyland and Radke is 36 hectares and was originally the Copper King and the Copper Queen mining claims; the first mining claims in Whitehorse.

Radke and Nyland also hold a purchase agreement with ATCO, the Alberta company which owns the Yukon Electrical Co. Ltd., to purchase land adjacent to their current property for the building of phase two of Raven's Ridge.

Nyland and Radke have not purchased the ATCO property and maintain that phase two is 'still in the conceptual phase.'

According to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB), Radke and Nyland propose to build a 17- to-18 lot country residential subdivision in the area.

The development also calls for: the clearing and construction of an access road into the subdivision; the creation of power lines; the installation of 18 septic fields for residential use; and the drilling of individual water wells for residential water use.

The WCCSC maintains that removing 150 metres of their trail located on Radke's and Nyland's property would have a negative impact on the club.

In the April 26 letter from Radke to WCCSC president Bill Curtis, Radke offered to move the 150-metre section of trail off his property to an adjacent location.

'I confirm that the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club's (WCCSC) 10 kilometre trail crosses a portion of that property and that our intention is to proceed with the development of that property into a small country-residential subdivision,' Radke wrote.

'This phase of the development will have minimal impact on the WCCSC's 10-kilometre trail but nonetheless, I confirm we are prepared to move, on your behalf, that portion of the 10-kilometre trail that crosses our property either to the perimeter of the property, or if you prefer, on the property immediately adjacent to the property.

'If the trails are relocated to the perimeter of our property, I confirm that we are prepared to survey out a 10-metre corridor, which, subject to zoning and subdivision approval, we will transfer, at no cost, to either the WCCSC or the City of Whitehorse,' Radke's letter to Curtis states.

Radke also wrote that if phase two were to go ahead in the future, a similar offer would be presented to the ski club.

The ski club, Radke wrote, should have responded by May 5 at 5 p.m. if they wanted to accept the offer.

In a May 5 response to Radke's letter from Curtis, the latter said the club will not be accepting Radke's offer.

'The executive of the WCCSC has considered Raven's Ridge Development Ltd.'s proposal as presented in (your) letter and we are pleased to continue the dialogue with you.

'(Your) phase one proposal for a 10-metre buffer in this instance potentially creates unsuitable trails for the club and does not accommodate other users, which would then impact on the ski trails.

'The club has made a proposal related to the zoning for the development which the executive feels addresses both the club's and (the developers) interests in the area where the club's 10-kilometre trail crosses phase one land.'

In an offer from the WCCSC to Radke and Nyland earlier this year, the ski club recommended: shifting the development's southernmost cul de sac westwards so it does not affect the trail; a part of one of the private lots should be rezoned park so skiers can continue using it; and including a snowmobile trail through the subdivision to connect with the ski trails.

Radke said rezoning of his property which has the ski trails would likely cost he and Nyland '$150,000 to $200,000' of saleable land.

Other concerns expressed at Monday's public hearing included: the area's ability to hold septic fields; traffic concerns on the Alaska Highway; and impacts phase two of the development, if it occurs, would have on the ski clubs trails.