City council has deferred discussion on amending the resolution that initially axed an access road to the Whitehorse Cooper subdivision in hopes the city can reach a compromise with the territorial government.

'I just don't want to see the entire subdivision shot down because of the road access,' Coun. Dave Austin said at Monday evening's council meeting, prior to motioning for the deferral.

In a July 7 letter, Community Services Minister Glenn Hart told council members that if they didn't include the access road into the country residential subdivision at Meadow Lakes, the government, as the developer, would not proceed with the lots.

The road is required to provide safe and direct access to the main part of the subdivision, to ensure faster emergency response time and a safer line of sight than even the proposed access from McRae, stated the letter.

'If the city is prepared to alter the necessary approvals prior to the commencement of Phase 3 of the development scheduled to start in the summer of 2007, and will confirm that in writing, we could begin work immediately in hopes of having lots available this year.'

Council gave final approval to the subdivision this past spring. It will allow for a development with 112 residential lots and 25 industrial lots.

The May 10 development agreement with the government included council's requirement that the government remove the plan for an access road on the Alaska Highway directly across from the Meadow Lakes Golf Course.

However, now the government has stated it's only prepared to move forward on the project if council removes the condition and permits an access road.

'Since when do developers tell the city what is going to happen after approval has already been given and why is this resolution being reconsidered?' asked area resident Kristin Innes-Taylor.

The government has spent approximately $900,000 advancing the project over the last decade. The proposal has met tremendous resistance from area residents, many of whom believe the project will lead to too much traffic and deplete the groundwater supply to homes.

Residents pushed for the removal of 13 lots to go in at Nunatak Place, which should be completed during the 2007/08 fiscal year, and the removal of the access road from Meadow Lakes.

In the end, only the road was eliminated. However, Innes-Taylor said residents accepted it and were pleased that at least one concern was acknowledged.

'It's time for council to stand behind its decision and its citizens' concerns,' she said. 'We are fed up with the bullying and the intimidation tactics YTG (the government) is employing in regards to this subdivision.'

An amendment can be made by council to now include the road without any more public consultation.

Austin said he'd rather delay the decision and spend the next two weeks trying to 'hash it out' with the government again than lose the entire subdivision.

'If we kill it now, it's done. There's no hope we're going to get the lots developed out there,' said Austin.

'It appears that we have got ourselves into a situation where we are playing chicken with the territorial government,' said Coun. Mel Stehelin. However, he added, 'I would not be in favour of bringing this whole thing up again.'

Coun. Jan Stick agreed, stating she believes council has been placed in an all-or-nothing situation.

'I don't like this coming back to us as, If you don't put it back in, we're not doing any of it,'' she said. 'There doesn't seem to be any compromise. There's no options being offered to us as alternatives.'

Stehelin and Stick voted against even considering the resolution again, but support from the other councillors will enable the issue to again be voted on in the future.

Coun. Bev Buckway said she doesn't see how a compromise will be met, but still supported looking at the resolution again.

'It just doesn't seem like we have an inch to move if we want to see any development,' she said. 'It's not a comfortable position to be in.'

The resolution to include the access road will be brought forth at the Aug. 8 council meeting.