A final decision hasn't been made on what type of multiple housing unit could be developed at 26 Normandy Rd.

However, a number of Takhini West residents turned out at a City of Whitehorse public hearing Monday evening to speak out against the possibility of a 40-unit apartment complex on the 0.4 hectares (one acre) of property.

'We'd rather have an empty lot than an apartment building,' one speaker told council.

The hearing was part of Monday night's council meeting. The proposal would see the property currently zoned Public Service rezoned to Residential Multiple Housing.

In addition to those at last night's meeting speaking out against the development, the city received three petitions from area residents as well as an e-mailed submission.

'My concerns are the transient nature of (those living in apartments),' Scott Palfreymen said.

He then pointed to issues of children's safety, exactly what a 'low-rise' structure is defined as, and increased traffic into the area, among other issues.

Ian Robertson of Inukshuk Planning and Design appeared for the project proponent. He said he thought some care should be given in referring to apartment dwellers as 'transient'. Many have lived in the same apartment for years, he said.

This morning, he said the primary shareholder in the project prefers not to be publicly identified.

Last night, he told council it was determined the most appropriate zoning for the site, given the property size, would be multi-residential.

Whether that is an apartment or townhouse complex has yet to be decided, he said.

'The apartment option is one option,' he stressed.

Although the maximum number of units for the site would be 40, a townhouse complex would have fewer than that, he pointed out.

Coun. Bev Buckway asked about the number of bedrooms potential apartment units might have. Robertson again noted there has been no decision on what type of multiple housing there might be.

'I don't know where you get that idea from, but it's not correct,' Robertson said of the development being an apartment building.

He also addressed the traffic concern, noting it is a legitimate issue that his client recognizes.

Access would not be provided through the heavily-used Alaska Highway, he said. It would be available through Seine Square instead.

Later in the meeting, local resident Jane MacArthur noted she's concerned of the possibility that while access may not be initially provided to the Alaska Highway, eventually it would be decided it's needed, and be provided from the property onto the highway.

She said if there were 40 dwellings, there's the potential for 40 vehicles, likely more, to be moving in and out of the neighbourhood regularly.

As for exactly how tall a potential building would be, Robertson said the maximum height would be 15 metres, or three storeys.

As the building gets taller, he pointed out, the minimum yard setbacks, of how close to the property line a building can be constructed, become larger.

He pointed out plans for the development had to be 'juggled around' after council voted this past spring to defer a decision on the zoning bylaw until the fall.

One delegate speaking at the hearing suggested there are drug and violence problems in many of the apartment buildings around the city.

Residents who bought homes in the area did so there because it's a quiet neighbourhood. They don't want to deal with increased traffic, she said.

'We want single-residential in there,' she added.

A report on the public hearing is scheduled to come to council next month with a vote on second and third readings of the rezoning to follow.