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Another mistake among plenty

Another mistake among plenty Open letter to Whitehorse mayor and council: City council has made a number of mistakes regarding the McLean Lake matter and is expected to make another one. 1) In a petition, 2,600 city residents indicated their opposition t

Open letter to Whitehorse mayor and council:

City council has made a number of mistakes regarding the McLean Lake matter and is expected to make another one.

1) In a petition, 2,600 city residents indicated their opposition to industrial development near McLean Lake. More than 200 residents paid for their names to be in a full-page newspaper notice to city council that industrial development should not be near the lake. Multiple times, residents have packed council chambers opposing a cement batch plant near the lake. Why is council ignoring what thousands of city residents are saying?

2) The draft Official Community Plan (OCP) also ignores the clearly stated interests of thousands of city residents about McLean Lake. Many residents didn’t bother providing comments on the draft OCP because city council didn’t listen before and many residents doubt council will listen this time.

3) City council spent more than $200,000 in court-related costs opposing the interests of thousands of city residents in two court battles, and lost both times.

4) After asking for public input to the draft OCP, and thankfully extending the consultation period, council may now fast-track the most contentious issue noted in the draft OCP, development near McLean Lake, before the draft OCP is finalized and the public input considered.

5) Council has repeatedly refused to explain why it ignores the interests of thousands of residents and caters to a company that can undertake the exact same development a short distance from the proposed site. There are financially viable locations in the same area noted in the city’s files for the cement batch plant.

Why are city councillors catering to one business that has viable alternatives and opposing the repeatedly stated interests of so many residents?

Why has city council spent hundreds of thousands of dollars opposing city residents?

Is city council going to make another mistake?

Skeeter Miller-Wright

Whitehorse