Whitehorse City Council recently voted to delay consideration of planning for the proposed Porter Creek D subdivision in Middle McIntyre Creek, until Phase 7 of the Whistle Bend subdivision is reached.
The Yukon Conservation Society applauds Whitehorse mayor and council for this reprieve for Middle McIntyre Creek.
Porter Creek D has long been opposed by local groups like the Friends of McIntyre Creek and YCS because of the impacts the subdivision would have on wildlife, recreational and educational values in the immediate area and the watershed as a whole.
Although YCS would have preferred a vote to remove Porter Creek D entirely from the Whitehorse Growth Strategy, mayor and council deserve credit for listening carefully to citizen’s concerns and seriously examining the current housing situation. Thank you for re-evaluating the issue for yourselves rather than following the previous council’s decision to begin planning for Porter Creek D.
City staff also deserve credit for crunching the numbers and determining that there is no need for another government initiated subdivision to compete with Whistle Bend and the recent explosion of private developments in the city.
There is a clear need for affordable housing in the city - something that expensive, creek-side lots in the proposed Porter Creek D subdivision would not provide. YCS will be happy to work with city council and staff to plan for affordable housing in other, more appropriate, locations.
YCS would like the land proposed for the Porter Creek D subdivision to be designated as part of the surrounding McIntyre Creek Park. We look forward to further discussions with council and staff about permanently protecting Middle McIntyre Creek, and planning a park that will be a natural, educational and recreational legacy for all Whitehorse residents.
Karen Baltgailis
Executive Director,
Yukon Conservation Society