No bidders respond to city’s land sale
Photo by Whitehorse Star
The City of Whitehorse has been left looking at its land disposition policy after not receiving a single bid for the five properties being sold on the waterfront.
The properties are the first of 15 city-owned lots to be sold from the site that made up the former Motorways trucking yard downtown. All five properties that were tendered face Second Avenue near Ogilvie Street.
The bids closed last Thursday afternoon. Acting Mayor Dave Austin said it didn’t come as a surprise Friday when there were none to be opened.
“Somebody’s got to have really deep pockets (to bid),“ he said, adding he didn’t have any expectations about how many bids would be received on the sites.
With minimum prices ranging from $290,000 to $651,000, the price narrows the number of developers that would be able to bid on the property, Austin said.
The city also didn’t advertise the tender Outside, which may have contributed to the lack of bids, he suggested.
Last week, the Ta’an Kwach’an Council successfully sought a Yukon Supreme Court freeze of the sale of the two Yukon government properties also on the former Motorways area.
Austin said that likely only had a minimal impact on the response the city received, if any, as the government’s properties aren’t on land owned by the municipality.
While council is taking a two-week break from its weekly meetings starting tonight, Austin said senior management will likely come up with the next course of action for selling the lots and bring that forward for council’s approval in August.
He suggested having them sold through a real estate agent may be the best route for the city to take on the plan.
“That’s what they do,“ he said.
Acting city manager Brian Crist said Friday the city will look to the newly-adopted Land Disposition Policy to decide the next course of action.
The policy states lots not sold during a lottery, through the bidding process or a request for proposals may be sold over the counter or be held and
released later.
The decision wouldn’t require a vote by council, Crist said, noting the city would likely sell them over the counter, though that still hasn’t been decided.
The city sites up for sale include:
- a 0.18 ha site for $627,000;
- a 0.143 ha site for $549,000;
- another 0.143 ha site for $524,000;
- a 0.169 ha site for $651,000; and
- a 754 sq m site for $290,000.
All the lots are zoned Mixed Use Waterfront/Motorways. That means they all require a conditional use permit from council before any development can go ahead.
They must also adhere to numerous design guidelines, including:
- a maximum height of three storeys;
- though it doesn’t impact any of the properties under this tender: a minimum front yard setback for properties along Front Street and Black Street of 0 metres;
- all parking and vehicle access must be from the rear lane;
- buildings must constructed in a pedestrian-friendly way with access along the street front, street-level windows and “inviting” public entries;
- larger buildings have to appear as several smaller buildings;
- the exteriors of structures have to be wood, stucco, or composite wood siding; no vinyl siding or aluminum is permitted; and
- signs must fit the neighbourhood’s character with no internal nor back illuminated signs permitted.
The city also permits multiple housing above the first floor of developments with the exception of the territory’s property beside the Yukon River and patios along the pedestrian section of First Avenue.
Developers are encouraged to use strong, rich colours rather than grey, beige or pastels. Lighting should be used to provide visual variety and character, it’s noted in the Motorways information package the city has on its website.
Had the bids been awarded, deadlines for the development of the site would have seen sales agreements signed by Sept. 17, with conditional use permits being approved no more than 45 days after the application is filed.
Where required, development permits would be issued within 30 days of the development permit and building permits would be issued by July 17, 2009, the information package states.
It was also proposed that construction start within 60 days of the building permit being issue if it was issued between April 1 and Sept. 15.
If the permit went out between Sept. 16 and March 31, construction would have to start by May 31 following the permit being issued.