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And about those pipes...

And about those pipes...

Open letter to mayor and Whitehorse city council:

At one time, for its size, Yukon’s residential areas were the most unorganized settlement communities in Canada. For example: Whisky Flats.

Riverdale was the first Yukon subdivision, North of 60, to be professionally planned by Central Mortgage and Housing on behalf of the government of Canada and the government of Yukon. Canada sent a number of professional land planners to Whitehorse, who spent a great deal of time on the Riverdale location arranging greenbelt-enhanced sites for residential lots, the hospital and schools.

People who live in Riverdale find it a well-organized subdivision which has stood the test of time and has proven to be valuable, functional and effective for 50 years (1960 - 2010). To change it now, you cannot foretell the consequences until after it is done; for example, increased traffic over one narrow bridge, residential density, the loss of main corridors, overloading of schools, to speak of a few.

Once changes occur, it presents possible endless pressures to develop other greenbelts. Riverdale residents are satisfied with their surroundings. They have paid a good price for their open spaces. Why jeopardize the dramatically successful project you find in Riverdale?

Change Riverdale - then soon the city will change Porter Creek and expect to divide the large lots found there. One of the reasons Whitehorse wishes to develop in Riverdale is that it is less costly to do so as the sewers and water mains are already in place.

We understand that the city is pressured by the builders; however, they must wait their turn. There is plenty of other land in and around Whitehorse that can be developed by the city to accommodate residential building, the cost of which is borne by the purchasers should they wish ownership. There are 207,000 square miles of land in the Yukon for 32,000 people - why on earth would you want to infill?

Leave it alone. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Also, there may be reasons for Riverdale residents to question the installation of new piping adjacent to the power-lines behind Firth and Boswell approximately two years ago.

Sophie Partridge

Whitehorse