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Commercial and Industrial Land Study

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Overview

The City of Whitehorse is undertaking a study of commercial and industrial lands located outside of Downtown in advance of the upcoming review of the City’s 2010 Official Community Plan (OCP), anticipated in 2018/19. A consulting team led by Groundswell Planning has been hired to undertake this work. The objectives are to:  

  • Assess and determine future demand for commercial and industrial lands within Whitehorse (outside of Downtown); and 
  • Identify land use and other policy options to ensure the supply of commercial and industrial lands can meet future demand and industry needs. 

The lands of interest are zoned CH-Highway Commercial, CIM-Mixed-Use Commercial/Industrial, IS-Service Industrial, and IH-Heavy Industrial (view OCP designations, zoning map, and land use chart).

Public Engagement Opportunities - Online Survey and Interviews

Several engagement opportunities have been planned for this study:  

  • Fill out an online survey! This survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, and is open to property owners and businesses currently operating in the following zones: CH-Highway Commercial, CIM-Mixed-Use Commercial/Industrial, IS-Service Industrial, and IH-Heavy Industrial. Enter the option at the end for your chance to win a $100 gift card to Home Hardware! 
  • Request an in-person or phone meeting with project staff by sending us an email indicating your preferred appointment date and time. We're pleased to meet with anyone interested in discussing commercial and industrial lands. Interviews will continue until the end of January.  

Focus Group Sessions (November 2018) 

Four focus group sessions were planned for November that were open to existing and prospective property owners and businesses. Thank you to everyone who participated! The following is a hybrid presentation of the information shared during the sessions. 

Below is a description of the sessions. Public input summaries will be posted shortly.  

  • Session 1: Monday, November 26, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
    Planning for Highway Commercial and Mixed-Use Commercial/Industrial Lands 
    Discussion focused on challenges and opportunities in the Marwell, Hillcrest, Kopper King, and Alaska Highway corridor commercial and mixed-use areas. Marwell topics included the recently adopted Marwell Plan. 
    • Input summary (coming soon)
  • Session 2: Tuesday, November 27, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm 
    Planning for Service Industrial Lands 
    Discussion focused on challenges and opportunities in the Kulan, Taylor, Mount Sima, MacRae, and Alaska Highway corridor industrial areas. 
    • Input summary (coming soon)
  • Session 3: Thursday, November 29, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm 
    Planning for Heavy Industrial Lands 
    The intent was to discuss heavy industrial activities that require larger land parcels and buffers to mitigate potential nuisances (e.g. noise, dust, odour, vibration).
    • Cancelled due to lack of RSVPs
  • Session 4: Friday, November 30, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
    Meeting the Needs of the Food, Beverage, and Cannabis Production Sectors
    Discussion focused on the specific needs of these emerging sectors in terms of land, servicing, and other requirements. Discussion included indoor agriculture and processing.
    •  Input summary (coming soon)

What's next? 

An interagency workshop is being planned for winter 2019 to discuss land use and other policy options. A draft of the study is anticipated to be ready in early spring. 

Resources

Contacts 

Erica Beasley, Planner, City of Whitehorse, (867) 668-8600, erica.beasley@whitehorse.ca
Jane Koepke, Project Manager, Groundswell Planning, (867) 335-3346, janek@northwestel.net