Yellowknife councillors broadly support Burwash Hill housing plan

Yellowknife city councillors say they’re largely supportive of plans to rezone part of the Burwash subdivision to allow for housing development.

City staff have recommended that council approve rezoning of a portion of two city-owned lots bounded by Burwash Drive, Con Road, Rycon Drive, 55 Street and 56 Street from “natural area” to “residential central zone.” (The city said the area is known as the “Burwash subdivision” among other names.)

The city is proposing subdividing the lots to create five residential lots and three multi-unit or townhouse lots while maintaining some green space and preserving an existing unofficial walking and biking path that crosses the land.

City documents describe the proposal as “low intensity infill,” saying it is designed to “match the developments in the area and increase housing supply at a gentle scale.”

The city noted a “significant amount” of new housing is needed to meet the needs of Yellowknife’s current and projected population, and the Burwash subdivision is served by existing roads, water and sewer infrastructure, and public transit.

While a couple of residents in the area said they support the idea, others raised concerns about the loss of green space, noise and dust from blasting and construction, traffic, drainage, and strain on the sewage system and street parking.

“Burwash Hill is among the reasons we chose to live in this area,” one resident wrote, saying they “strongly oppose” the city’s proposal.

“The loss of this natural space will diminish our enjoyment of the neighbourhood and the quality of life it offers us and our neighbours.”

As the city’s plan would require an amendment to the city’s zoning bylaw, it will have to go through a public hearing and have to pass three readings at council before it can go ahead.

City needs to ‘make tough choices’

Several councillors said they appreciated that the city’s proposal balances needed housing development with preserving green space.

“I love seeing that staff is considering loss of green space and providing some options for that preservation,” Cat McGurk said, highlighting that the pathway will be preserved.

Rob Foote said the city has a responsibility to respond to housing pressures in Yellowknife.

“Growing up here, I personally saw a number of green spaces – that meant a lot to me as play spaces and fort building areas – gradually disappear as housing expanded when the diamond mines started coming to fruition. At the time, it didn’t always feel like the balance between development and preserving natural space was thoughtfully considered,” he said.

“What I appreciate in this proposal is that there does appear to be a more deliberate effort to strike that balance, as asked for by residents.”

Tom McLennan said while the area was recommended for preservation as a natural area in a 2010 strategy, housing pressures in Yellowknife have “built to the point where we need to make tough choices.”

“While I believe natural areas within the urban space do make significant contributions to the community, the lack of land made available to the city over the last 16 years has forced us to do this re-evaluation as to how and where development should occur,” he said.

“This is particularly true given coming federal and military investment. Simply put, we need to put houses somewhere.”

Steve Payne, Garett Cochrane, Stacie Arden Smith, Rob Warburton and Ryan Fequet also expressed support for the proposal.

Councillors will vote on first reading of the bylaw amendment at a future meeting.

Charlsey White, the city’s director of planning and development, said if the proposal passes third reading, the lots could be on the market for ballot draw by the fall.