Yellowknife residents petition to stop development in their neighbourhood

Some Yellowknife residents have started a petition to stop housing development plans in their neighbourhood.

They're fighting a proposal from city staff to build housing within existing Yellowknife neighbourhoods. The proposal targets five residential areas for "infill" development that would build where infrastructure such as roads, sewage and water lines already exist.

City staff say that's a cheaper option than creating new subdivisions outside of town.

Charlsey White, the city's planning and development director, presented the plan at a council meeting Monday. She said that Yellowknife's population is growing faster than expected and that the city needs about 300 to 350 new units just to catch up, let alone plan for the future.

"We're behind," she told council. "Good land use planning is to have two to three years zone-designated and subdivided land ready to go for the market so you can support those ebbs and flows with population change."

One of the five neighbourhoods slated for development is around Burwash Drive and Con Road, but residents of that area say they don't want to see apartment buildings in what is now green space.

Lindsay Armer lives in the neighbourhood and spoke at this week's meeting.

"The green spaces we have around Niven [neighbourhood], around our area, are pretty crucial to families in the area," she said.

Armer told CBC that when she asked her nine-year-old daughter what she thinks about sharing the area with possible new developments, her daughter said there would then be too many people, "and it wouldn't be as peaceful and natural as it is now."

Other areas up for development in the plan include: School Draw Ave., Taylor Rd. and around Niven Lake adjacent to Trails End Cres., as well as behind Moyle Drive.

Petition to preserve green space

Armer started a petition urging council to keep the Con-Burwash green space intact.

The online petition argues that the open space is good for dog walking, picnics, natural play, wildlife and bird watching, biking, "and the list goes on."

As of Wednesday afternoon, 25 people had signed the petition.

At Monday's meeting, Armer also read a statement from her neighbours Jillian and James Bancroft expressing a similar view.

The Bancrofts said the development "would devastate our neighbourhood" but expressed support for building in other zones, like the proposed expansion on Taylor Rd.

Lyle Fabian, another resident of the same neighbourhood, told council he's on board with development in other parts of the city. He said there are parts of downtown that could be put to better use.

In her presentation, Armer said city resources would be better spent elsewhere.

"If you have residents like us who say, 'yeah we're not really supportive of it at this point,' is it worth investing time and effort of city administration and tax dollars?'"

Council is set to vote Monday on whether city staff should move ahead with plans to open up the land for infill development.

If approved, White figures any development would still be at least four to five years away.