The City of Whitehorse wants a nine-month extension on its Zoning Bylaw Rewrite.
At Feb. 3’s standing committee meeting, a representative from the city’s planning department said they need more time to work on the bylaw rewrite than the current March 27 deadline allows. The deadline set by the territorial Municipal Act. The act states that city council has to amend or adopt a zoning bylaw within two years of adopting an official community plan. City council adopted their new official community plan on March 27, 2023.
“Attempting to finalize and adopt the bylaw by March the deadline would undermine the completion of the review process required for such an important document,” said Mélodie Simard, the manager of planning and sustainability services.
The city’s zoning bylaw rewrite is shaping up as a mountain to climb for council this year. The councillors — only elected last October — are looking at aligning the city’s zoning bylaw with the new official community plan.
The zoning bylaw — a mammoth 265-page document — sets out the rules for all developments within city limits. The current zoning bylaw was adopted in 2012.
Coun. Dan Boyd proposed the city ask for an extension of a year as opposed to an extension of nine months.
Simard said the city would not be able to apply for an extension of a year as the rewrite is one of the projects quoted for funding from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. Simard said the city has “a lot on the line with this funding.” She said the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which helps administer the fund, has expressed a desire to see progress on the projects that the city has committed to completing within the year.
The city manager, Jeff O’Farrell, said the city administration would investigate other possible unintended consequences associated with alternate deadlines on the project.
The request for the extension will come forward to city council next week.
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
