Whitehorse to develop infill housing lots

Whitehorse city planners hope to ease the city's housing shortage a little bit by developing some infill residential lots, which could be for sale as early as this fall.

The city is planning to develop lots in the city's downtown, Crestview and Porter Creek neighbourhoods. Four sites will be developed in Porter Creek and one in Crestview starting next month.

A site in downtown Whitehorse will be part of a downtown charette later this year, city officials say.

Unlike larger residential projects such as Whistle Bend and Porter Creek D, officials say the infill sites have been targeted as places for quick development.

"The goal is to get the sites ready for construction in the summer, with the end goal happening with lot availability in the fall of this year," city planner Ben Campbell told reporters on Thursday.

The identified infill sites stem from Whitehorse's official community plan, which calls for 65 per cent of the city to be protected from development.

Senior planner Mike Ellis said given the current housing shortage in the city, planners have little option but infill.

"The sensible choice is to build a more compact city," Ellis said.

Some of the infill sites include vacant land bordering the Guild Hall in Porter Creek.

A public meeting to discuss the infill developments has been scheduled for Feb. 2 at Jack Hulland School.

As for whether the city plans to develop in the Riverdale subdivision, officials say planning in the Boswell and Firth area will not take place until sometime next year, after a transportation study and area wellhead study are completed.