Some of the smallest residential lots in the history of the Whistle Bend subdivision development were released Tuesday for a public lottery.

The application deadline is Aug. 27, with the lottery scheduled for Aug. 28, said a Yukon government press release posted Tuesday.

The lots released include those from the phase three development and the first group of lots to be made available in phase four of the development, with the second group of phase four lots scheduled to be released this fall.

The lots released for lottery are 44 single-family lots, five duplex lots, three townhouse lots and nine multi-family lots.

“Whistle Bend continues to develop into the vibrant community it was envisioned to be,” Community Services Minister John Streicker said in the release.

“By releasing smaller building lots, we are adding density and affordability to the neighbourhood. This will help to meet the evolving needs of Yukon families through our partnership with the City of Whitehorse.”

Successful lottery applicants will be required to pay the Yukon government the minimum down payment of 20 per cent of the lot price, along with five per cent GST to secure their lot.

There is also the development cost charge by the city that needs to be paid at the same time, the value of which depends on the type of lot.

For a single-detached housing lot, for instance, the city charges an upfront development charge of $3,641.

In the group of 44 lots for single-detached homes, the lot sizes range from 3,907 square feet or 332 square metres to 4,973 square feet or 462 square metres.

The smallest lot is priced at $77,245, requiring a minimum down payment of $15,449, along with $3,862 for the GST, for a total payment to the Yukon government of $19,311.

The additional development cost charge of $3,641 required by the city is collected by the Yukon government at time of sale, raising the initial payment to $22,952.

The largest single-family lot is priced at $102,117, requiring a minimum down payment of $20,423, another $5,105 for the GST and $3,641 for the city, for a total initial payment of $29,170.

Under the condition of sale for single-family lots, buyers have two years from the date of purchase to have their buildings clad to weather, and five years to pay off the land, according to Yukon government policy.

“We are delighted to see more lots becoming available in Whistle Bend through our partnership with the Government of Yukon,” said Mayor Dan Curtis.

“Attainable housing is one of six strategic priorities for city council, and we will continue working with our government partners, non-profit organizations, businesses, and citizens to help people attain housing across the housing continuum.”

The five duplex lots – 10 housing units – available in the lottery range in size from 7,104 square feet or 660 square metres to 8,902 square feet or 827 square metres.

The smallest duplex lot is priced at $153,560, requiring the minimum 20 per cent down payment of $30,712 and $7,678 for the GST, for a total payment to the Yukon government of $38,390.

The city charges $5,826 development costs for duplexes, raising the initial payment required to $44,216.

The largest duplex lot is priced at $192,415, requiring a minimum down payment of $38,483, $9,260 for the GST and $5,826 to the city, for a total initial payment of $53,569.

Purchasers have two years to have the building clad to weather, and five years to pay off the land.

The three lots designated for townhouse developments provide for a total of 13 housing units, with five units on one lot and four on each of the other two.

The five-unit lot is priced at $248,355, requiring a down payment of $56,871 and $14,217 in the GST, for a total payment to the Yukon government of $71,088. The city applies a development cost charge of $2,913 per townhouse unit, but does not collect until a building permit has been issued, after the total number of units has been detemined.

The multi-family lots, or lots designated for apartments, range in size from 18,191 square feet or 1,690 square metres to 82,163 square feet or 7,633 square metres.

The smallest lot is priced at $159,385, with a minimum down payment of $31,877 and $7,696 for GST, for a total payment to the Yukon government of $39,846.

The city applies a develop cost charge of $2,185 per unit but does not collect the fee until the building permit is issued, after the total number of units has been determined.

The largest multi-family lot is priced at $1.15 million, with the minimum down payment set at $229,050 and $57,262 for GST, bringing the total payment to the Yukon government to $286,312.

See related story.