Whitehorse is headed for a referendum on the future of development in city greenbelts.

At their Monday night meeting, members of city council heard that a petition for a referendum circulated by the Porter Creek Community Association (PCCA) has the 2,000 signatures required under city bylaws to force council to draft legislation.

The petition was presented last Nov. 8 and the association had until Feb. 5 to collect the 2,000 signatures.

The association presented council with the petition on Feb. 3. After nearly a week of scrutiny, city administrators told council Monday that the association had reached its goal.

The petition's questions are:

'Shall the City of Whitehorse pass a bylaw requiring that, for every new or existing residential subdivision, a green space plan, passed by area plebiscite, be amended into the Official Community Plan as part of any preliminary development process in that area?

'Shall the City of Whitehorse pass a bylaw stating that it will maintain the designation of green space, greenbelt, park, park reserve or environmental protection on any land once so designated in any Official Community Plan, unless changed by area plebiscite and referendum?'

According to documents tabled at council, there were 2,566 signatures responding to the first question, of which 2,460 were found to be valid.

For the second question, there were 2,489 signatures, of which 2,389 were considered to be legitimate after scrutiny.

Signatures were considered invalid, according to council documents, if they were duplicated, illegible, did not appear, were not registered municipal electors or were unverifiable.

'The City of Whitehorse now has approximately six weeks to bring forward a bylaw or bylaws that meet the intent of the questions. The referendum will be 90 days after that (approximately the beginning of July), if council so chooses by not giving the proposed bylaw or bylaws second and third readings.

'The estimated cost of a referendum is $13,000,' council documents state.

In a presentation to council, PCCA president Carole Bookless said members of her community went to more than 1,500 homes in every city neighbourhood and that the majority of people asked to sign the petition did so.

'About 90 per cent of the people who were asked to sign, did,' Bookless said.

She said the association decided to proceed with the petition for a referendum after public consultation meetings over the planned 280-plus lot development in a Porter Creek greenbelt.

Bookless said citizens felt their views were not being listened to or adequately addressed.

'The city has given mixed signals about what green space means. Most citizens think green space is a protected area,' Bookless said.

'We decided to do this after a negative and disappointing consultation in Porter Creek.'

The consultations, held in late September and early October, asked citizens what kind of development citizens wanted and not whether they approved of development, Bookless said.

'The citizens of Whitehorse don't want green spaces developed. They want to be consulted.

'We just want the city to uphold its own Official Community Plan.'

Fellow PCCA member Jocelyn Laveck said she too helped circulate the petition and that the referendum was a result of council not adequately listening to or acting on the wishes of the electorate.

'You have repeatedly refused to listen to residents who are opposed to infilling and green space development.

'The City of Whitehorse has forced this referendum,' she said.

Responding to the association's comments and concerns, Coun. Bev Buckway asked Bookless and Laveck if they're aware that the vast percentage of land within city limits is in fact green space.

'What percentage of Whitehorse do you think green space makes up?

'If I were to suggest that 78 per cent of the city was green space, would that surprise you?' Buckway asked rhetorically.

Coun. Doug Graham questioned the petitioners as to whether they informed signatories of the impact that the referendum would have on development.

'Where do you think that lots should occur?' Graham asked.

Mayor Ernie Bourassa asked whether the petitioners could name any area where infill or development had occurred in a protected area.

Bourassa pointed out that without infill in areas with existing infrastructure, including sewer and water, the cost for a lot could be from $150,000 to $200,000.

Bourassa has long maintained that council has an obligation to ensure that affordable housing is available in Whitehorse.