Amid concerns over a connector road leading to the new neighbourhood, city council approved the master plan for Whistle Bend at its meeting Monday night.

Tamarack Drive resident Sean McAskie began his presentation to council by stating he is not against the Whistle Bend development itself.

However, he told the city, he has concerns over the traffic the new development on Porter Creek's lower bench will bring.

The proposed access road would be about 200 metres from Tamarack property lines, connecting Mountainview Drive with the subdivision.

The city has asked its residents if it supports a sustainable, progressive neighbourhood. However, those living in Porter Creek have not been asked if they support up to four times the amount of traffic along with a new road going through a site currently used as trails, he pointed out.

"There's been no public presentation or discussion about the social and environmental cost of a new development on the existing neighbourhood in Porter Creek," McAskie said, suggesting it's an unbalanced approach.

A charette or community café on the overall development is a very different thing than a meeting with those in the area who would be directly impacted by a road, he pointed out.

Due process, he said, should also include consultation with residents on Tamarack.

With no access road placed on concept maps on the city's website, he said, there's been misinformation about the new road.

"The exclusion of this road from the concept maps has misled many Porter Creek residents into believing that the Whistle Bend connector was (to be) located 700 m south of the alignment shown on the final plan," McAskie said.

The connector has made its way on to other city maps, including the green space map used in the past city plebiscite, the various maps show a 100-metre difference in where the road will go.

Coun. Dave Stockdale was quick to point out the road had been the topic of discussion a number of years ago during the development of Porter Creek D. He asked McAskie about why he didn't oppose it at that time, McAskie explained he didn't live in the area then.

McAskie also commented that no reasons have been provided by the city on why the current site for the road was chosen.

Later in the meeting, when questioned about the access by Mayor Bev Buckway, city operations manager Brian Crist explained the site was selected when the other possibility put it closer to McIntyre Creek, which presented a steeper grade and more environmental concerns.

He also said the transportation plan for the area would address any road upgrades to roads like Range Road, Mountainview Drive and Clyde Wann Road needed to accommodate the new neighbourhood.

It was also noted by city staff that while the master plan addresses the overall design for the entire area - including a grid pattern of streets, mixed housing types, commercial areas and community sites which lead to a town square - the upcoming zoning and subdivision for the first two phases will deal with exactly what the lots will look like.

It's expected Whistle Bend will serve as the city's next major development area for years to come.