The impact of Whitehorse's next major residential subdivision could have a big impact on local residents.

That's why the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) will host a public meeting about it next week.

"It's a huge project, but it (also) affects a lot of people,” Rob Yeomans, the YESAB's communication manager, said in an interview this morning.

Last year, the city wrapped up its planning work for the first two phases of the subdivision to be built on Porter Creek's lower bench.

Now, the YESAB will look at the environmental and socio-economic impacts and make recommendations to the territory from there.

While the YESAB doesn't host public meetings on all developments that come its way for recommendations (a process required for most developments in the territory), it's not unusual where there will likely be a bigger impact on people.

"We do a fair bit of public meetings,” Yeomans said.

In some cases, a public meeting may draw only two or three people while others will draw upwards of 40.

In this case, he said, YESAB officials would be pleased to see between 20 and 40 people walk through the doors.

"We really want to hear from the public,” Yeomans said.

He's hoping the first portion of the meeting from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 14, will draw people who are hesitant to sit through a longer, more formal presentation.

During the afternoon session at the Westmark Whitehorse, residents can drop in, view the plans and speak to officials more informally and offer their thoughts on the subdivision.

Following the drop-in hours, the more formal session will begin with presentations and facilitated discussion until 6:30 p.m.

Along with presentations by YESAB officials focusing on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the development, city staffers will explain what the development entails.

In the first two phases of Whistle Bend, 295 lots are proposed for development along with building the infrastructure needed to service the new neighbourhood. The proposal takes in 49 hectares.

Yeomans is hoping those at the meeting will let officials know how the development will affect them from an environmental and socio-economic standpoint, with comments being accepted until Jan. 22.

After that, provided there are no reasons to seek an extension on the public input, YESAB officers will put all of the information and comments they have gathered together to come up with recommendations on the proposal, Yeomans said.

As for when that will be finished, he commented: "That's very difficult for us to predict.”

While a report on a smaller project can take between 35 and 40 days, a number of extensions can also be granted for various reasons.

He suspects this may be the case for the Whistle Bend because there is such a major impact to the public.