
Photo by Whitehorse Star
Photo by Whitehorse Star
Some of the smallest residential lots in the history of the Whistle Bend subdivision development were released Tuesday for a public lottery.
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.
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Comments (13)
Up 0 Down 0
Mac on Dec 28, 2020 at 9:45 pm
Is there a housing shortage in Whitehorse? What is the average rent for an older 3 bedroom home?
Up 0 Down 0
Less confusion please on Aug 7, 2019 at 6:24 am
For the non-construction person such as myself 332 sq meters doesn't register as a mental footprint but 18x18 meters starts to and 60'x60' is even better.
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looks okay to me on Aug 6, 2019 at 5:33 pm
5000 sq foot is a normal size downtown, and many if not most of the lots in Takhini (dpw duplexes), are smaller than this. Admittedly the homes are built to the lot line, being duplexes. I don't find these lot sizes to be a big deal. Many people are buying condos, maybe lots of people do not actually feel any need for big front yards, and could reserve the back yard for their stuff. And PS, a 1500 square foot home on three levels would only take a 20 x 25 foot print. That's like, one tenth of a 5000 sq foot lot.
Up 27 Down 1
Groucho d'North on Aug 3, 2019 at 9:46 am
I am curious about construction options on these new small lots. Will the meets & bounds for these lots be reconsidered, or will the status quo property boundaries remain in place? What then would be the maximum building foundation footprint allowable? I'm getting the sense that we are witnessing the beginning of a new high-end, carbon-friendly, electrically heated ghetto.
And Gringo's comments about the needs of prospective new home buyers and their many assets to store is very accurate. The marketplace consumers are having to accommodate to the limited property options, rather than development being in tune with the marketplace wants and desires. Then come the new rules about what can be stored on your property and similar frustrations designed by imported policy wonks without a clue about northern life.
Up 24 Down 1
Land shortage fabrication on Aug 2, 2019 at 8:35 pm
@woodcutter, about the only thing you may be correct on is the fact that most all open land is First Nations. Cost to service lots big or small is irrelevant, as YTG and City don’t sell lots for what they cost to develop. They decided a few years ago to jump on the band wagon and sell lots for market value while limiting the lots available, thus manufacturing a land shortage. Land cost, building costs, permit fees, taxes, etc. are all controlled by government in one form or another. Even people screaming about rent cost being too high. Governments blame developers for inflated rents. But they have no problem taking in almost 50% tax on rental income (passive income). And yes planning is responsible for where we are now. If their job is to plan then they should have some idea of the growth pattern of the city. If they don’t, why exactly are they there? I don’t blame mayor or council. They just rubber stamp what city administration puts forth.
Up 18 Down 28
wooductter on Aug 1, 2019 at 5:15 pm
Always the same old cry babies making comments out of their @ss. The fact is, when you look at the maps, that much of the land within the city of Whitehorse is not open to development. Most of the open space is a land selection from one First Nation or another.
The cost to develop serviced building lots increases dramatically as the lots get larger. Wilf is working from the genius or hind sight, expecting the planners to predict everything that could possibly happen, and yes most of the mine workers don't live in the Yukon, I know that's a hard pill to swallow, but swallow the truth one must. We should elect him, so we can ridicule his every decision, put him in leadership so he can taste what he is serving to our elected people.
The nice thing about living in the Yukon, is that you're not forced to purchase these lots, so if you don't want to, then don't .
Up 33 Down 3
yukon Justice on Aug 1, 2019 at 4:20 pm
You are building like you live in Vancouver. This is the Yukon Whistle Bend should never have happened.
Up 22 Down 3
Just Sayin' on Aug 1, 2019 at 4:04 pm
Yea, because Striker and Curtis currently live on lots those size....
Up 24 Down 3
Charlie's Aunt on Aug 1, 2019 at 2:25 pm
Anyone else remember this song from 62-3? Maybe COW & YT should adopt it?
Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes all the same,
There's a pink one and a green one And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same.
Oh well, I guess some might like shaking hands with neighbours thru windows.
Up 46 Down 7
North_of_60 on Jul 31, 2019 at 11:15 pm
The people who decide what options you have for where and how you're going to live, don't live in WB or ride the bus. However they still believe they know what's best for you.
Up 41 Down 6
Gringo on Jul 31, 2019 at 8:31 pm
Ok Streicker and COW you have provided the smallest lots ever recorded in Whitehorse proper, how about opening up some Porter Creek style lots or more country residential lots so that folks that have a few toys etc., can park them in their yard and not on the road.
Up 36 Down 4
North_of_60 on Jul 31, 2019 at 7:19 pm
I'm surprised they didn't charge the CarbonTax on the total price.
Up 49 Down 14
Wilf on Jul 31, 2019 at 3:07 pm
City and YTG do not see the type of lots residents need. COW residents have ATV's and trailers, snow machines and trailers, RV's, travel trailers, boats and trailers, and many other items. The streets in Whistle bend are dangerously narrow.
Let's look at what they're doing to help the messed up housing market in COW.
> 44 lots when we need 300.
> Look at the lack of planning for workers moving in for the care center in Whistle bend. No housing for 140 employees.
> There are three mines in the works that will employee upward of 700 people. Where are they going to live? Mining companies are already flying workers in and out. No benefit to Yukon on any front.
>These lots are not affordable by any means when you ask $350,000 and the price of the home + $450,000. You have removed 35% of COw residents from the housing market.
>Why charge GST on top these lots? Makes no sense at all.
> Then you have a development charge which is another tax on top of all of this.
> None of this supports affordable housing in the COW.
> Our mayor knows nothing about development
>$1.5 million for a family lot results in no rental units which COW needs badly.
COW is in major housing crises and you have a mayor and minister who can't see it until it will be to late.