Those looking for a property in the new section of Takhini North will have until Sept. 28 to get their names into the lottery for the first 15 lots.

Lottery packages for the new properties became available this morning after council approved third reading of the bylaw authorizing their sale Monday night.

By 9:15 this morning, more than a half-dozen people had picked up the packages outlining the details of the lottery and price tags on the land.

Each of the nine single-family and six duplex lots up for sale are on either Nijmegan Road or Rhine Way.

Prices range from $89,145 (including the GST) for the smallest of the properties, at 490 square metres. There are four single-family lots at that size and price on Rhine Way.

The property sizes and corresponding prices rise from there to a maximum single-family lot size of 716 square metres for $111,090 at 45 Nijmegan Rd.

Meanwhile, the duplex lots range from 861 square metres for $166,740 at 38/40 Nijemegan Rd. to 946 square metres for $174,930 at 34/36 Rhine Way.

Three lots – 30, 32 and 34/36 Rhine Way – have a power line running through them that's set to be moved next year.

At Monday's city council meeting, Coun. Doug Graham continued to criticize the size of the lots, arguing that most are too small.

"We're trying to force people to purchase lots they don't want to purchase,” he said, adding he hopes the city carefully watches which lots people bid on.

Graham has been vocal in his opposition to the smaller lot sizes the city has moved toward in recent years on a number of developments.

While he voted in favour of authorizing the lot sales, he argues Whitehorse residents want larger properties.

There's no point developing lots people don't want to buy, he said.

Whether there's a large demand for the new Takhini North properties will become clear at 2 p.m. on Sept. 28 when the lottery closes.

The draw for the properties will happen exactly 24 hours later: at 2 p.m. Sept. 29.

Along with completing the application form, those wanting a property must pay a non-refundable $60 application fee and a $300 administration fee. The administration fee will be refunded if the applicant's name isn't drawn in the lottery.

Intended for individuals' purchases, applications from businesses and companies will not be accepted.

Those who have their names drawn will have until Oct. 9 to pay either the $5,000 deposit required on single-family properties or $7,500 deposit required on duplex sites. If the deposit isn't received, the lot would then be offered to those on a stand-by list.

A sale agreement, including a provision that all city requirements such as the zoning bylaw be met, for the lot must be signed by Oct. 16 and the property purchased by Dec. 18.

Once the property is in the hands of the new owner, he or she will then be responsible for development cost charges prior to getting a building permit, at $2,000 per unit on a duplex or $2,500 for a single-family home and an additional $1,500 for any living suites in the home.

Among the zoning requirements that will affect homes in the new section of the neighbourhood are:

• Minimum setbacks of three metres in the front yard to a maximum of four metres;

• Vehicle access from the rear lane where there is one. Where there's not, garages must be set back a minimum of five metres from the front property line and two metres from the building face closest to the street;

• A porch or covered entry taking up at least half of the front width of the house;

• Landscaping, hardsurfacing and tree preservation requirements;

• Using trim transitions;

• Having a different colour on the house than the two buildings next door; and

• A development permit being in place.

The homes constructed there will also be subject to new building standards for the city which took effect on Sept. 1 designed to make buildings more energy-efficient.

This is the first of two phases for the neighbourhood. Much of the focus of this year's efforts was on the reconstruction of the sewer and water system in the existing neighbourhood as well as the construction underway of 44 single-family and duplex lots, along with a multi-family and mixed-use site.

Next year, the second phase is set to include construction of another 21 single-family, 78 duplex and three multi-family lots, as well as green space and road construction.