Whitehorse council urged to approve contentious development

City staff in Whitehorse say city council should approve a controversial development proposal opposed by some in the Copper Ridge neighbourhood.

The city has to rezone a vacant lot from commercial to residential use sodeveloper Patrick McLarnoncanbuild 10 townhouses on the lot.

But the property is in the middle of a neighbourhood made up of mostly single-family homes and some duplexes.

Neighbours have come forward to say the development doesn't fit the neighbourhood, pointingto a drawing submitted by the developer that shows a rectangular box-style building on the property.

"I think those renderings are not helpful, I think they actually make it problematic, because seeing that they believe that that's actually what would be built there," said Councillor Dan Boyd at a council meeting Monday.

Boyd wondered if it was possible to ask the developer to provide a drawing of the actual development before the council votes on the rezoning. Staff told him it is not possible.

Councillor Betty Irwin posed what she acknowledged was a rhetorical question.

"Aren't there any architects in the world with some kind of imagination when they are designing buildings like this?" she asked.

"Or are they just located in other parts of the world where I see some really innovative designs for apartment building and townhouses?"

Mayor Dan Curtis said there are good architects in Whitehorse doing a good job.

He also noted the owner bought the property in 2011 and presumably has not found any way to attract commercial development to it. He said he wonders how the neighbourhood would have reacted if a commercial use had been found for the lot.

"It's challenging, I agree, to look at something that may not be appealing to me, or to anyone in council," said the mayor.

"But it's not really our role or our job to say what colour your house is, or the design it is, as long as it fits the criteria and the rules we have in place for our community."

One neighbourhood resident at the council meeting said he didn't find Curtis' attitude helpful.

John Stamp said the mayor should be open to a more democratic process that values the residents input.

"People want to be proud of where they live, and the built environment is a real critical component of that," he said.

"I think that a lower density development with triplexes or duplexes could be done in a far more aesthetic way," he said.

McLarnon, has not appeared at the council meetings and CBC News has been unable to contact him.

The city council will vote on the rezoning in upcoming meetings.