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Council approves rezoning in Mount Sima area

Lot expansion plans move forward
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A vehicle is seen along Mt. Sima Road in Whitehorse on May 12. Whitehorse city council passed the final two readings of a rezoning bylaw at its June 15 meeting for the potential lot expansions for three properties on Mount Sima Road. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News file)

The potential expansions of three Mount Sima Road properties is closer to becoming a reality after Whitehorse city council passed the final two readings of a rezoning bylaw at its June 15 meeting.

The change designates a 1.02 hectare parcel of land behind the three properties as service industrial from its previous greenbelt zone.

That will allow for the next steps to subdivide and sell the sites to the property owners directly in front of the land for the lots to be expanded.

Before voting in favour of moving ahead with the bylaw, Coun. Samson Hartland described the rezoning as a good balance between expanding industrial land while also protecting a nearby trail.

He said it’s a good example of “what happens when the process works.”

Hartland was referring to changes made to the original rezoning proposal that came forward in 2019 that would have seen a much larger 2.27 area of land behind the properties expanded.

Numerous concerns were raised with the original proposal about the impact to a nearby trail, with council opting to send it back to administration for more work. City staff came back with the proposed rezoning of 1.02 ha piece instead that would allow for some expansion while keeping the trail in tact.

The change, Coun. Laura Cabott commented at the June 15 meeting, addresses the concerns that were raised.

At the same time, she acknowledged there was one submission opposed to the rezoning, with arguments views and the unique landscape of the area would still be impacted even given the change to the area up for rezoning.

The other three submissions to the public hearing expressed support, highlighting the potential for development and that it could make good use of land that would otherwise not be used.

Cabott also pointed out the site rezoned is already in an industrial use area.

Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com



Stephanie Waddell

About the Author: Stephanie Waddell

I joined Black Press in 2019 as a reporter for the Yukon News, becoming editor in February 2023.
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