Whitehorse city council will allow a concrete batch plant to be built near McLean Lake.
A municipal bylaw allowing the batch plant was passed on Tuesday night, but not before an amendment was made that restricted the use of that site.
The amendment is supposed to address concerns that gravel extraction would be inevitable if the bylaw was passed.
“Council stayed the course,” said Ron Newsome, the owner of Territorial Contracting.
“I’m happy with how it went.”
However, Newsome is predicting the matter will go back to court, as promised by many of the residents that live near McLean Lake.
“How can the council be for a proposal that has such serious flaws?” asked Skeeter Miller-Wright, speaking as a delegate at the beginning of the meeting.
“How can council be for a proposal that is contrary to the interests of hundreds of residents?”
“I’d just like to remind council that this process has been assessed and reassessed and the manner of assessing has assessed,” said Paul Inglis, an environmental consultant.
Inglis, who represents Newsome, stressed that the Supreme Court ruling that quashed the first bylaw had issue with the gravel extraction, not the batch plant.
The current application is for the batch plant only.
Councillor Jeanine Myhre joined councillor Jan Stick in announcing her support for the bylaw prior to the vote.
Myhre also suggested that council consider a park for the area.
“I don’t see why both can’t coexist in the area,” she said.
The bylaw was passed unanimously.
Barring further court action, Newsome predicts that it will take an additional two to three years to get his plant up and running.
“We won’t be mixing any concrete until all the facilities are in place to protect the environment,” he said.
“We want to make our best effort to do it right.”