DIDSBURY - Although it's possibly still years away, representatives from Mountain View Seniors' Housing (MVSH) presented to council plans for two different options for a facility in Didsbury at the regular meeting on March 14.
The plan would require the project getting grant money from the provincial government and proper approvals from the necessary authorities - after that it would take another three to four years to complete, say officials.
In the delegation were MVSH CAO Sam Smalldon, developer Wayne Millaney and, by phone, board chair Bruce Beattie.
Smalldon told council that the group would like to enter into a partnership with the Town of Didsbury moving forward.
"We developed a model while working in Sundre that we would like to repeat and that is to have a community driven process," said Smalldon.
"We want this to be a project that you need, one that you want, and one that can be part of your bringing to fruition. In other words, the shape that it takes, the location that it's in, and the amenities that would be there would all be part of a public input process."
Smalldon said they would conduct a survey to find out the needs of the community and apply that to a concept.
The delegation showed plans for the two options, both of which would be new buildings. One would be expanding the current location of Aspen Ridge Lodge, while the other would be a new building in Shantz Village.
"This would allow for 58 in the lodge, 40 in the supportive living, and 12 in the life lease," said Smalldon of the Aspen Ridge location. "That would give us a considerably larger campus."
In the middle of the campus would be an atrium and service areas.
"That's a plan that's evolved," he said. "When we expand to meet needs we first identify there is demand. We feel there is demand for this project. We have already done a demand study. So we're basing it on real information that has been independently verified."
Smalldon said the new build at Shantz Village would be based on the Sundre project and would accommodate 97 people. He added that at the front of the property there would be room for a potential medical clinic.
"We call this a campus," he said. "We would have the life lease (12) for independent living, we have the lodge (45) and supportive living (40). In that 97, in the 45 lodge we would have one hospice and one respite, which is similar to what we are doing in Sundre."
Smalldon offered an invitation to council to visit the Sundre site. MVHS is also looking at upcoming projects in both Carstairs and Olds.
The Carstairs seniors' housing project is the first priority, said Smalldon.
"The board made that decision that they're hopeful to get grant money to do the Carstairs first," he said. "The Carstairs project is very similar. It's got 97. It's just a different layout."
Smalldon said that building the campuses will basically allow seniors to stay in their respective communities. He added that he expects they will have little troubling filling the spots.
"The province has said there is 1,000 beds a year they're short," he said. "So we hope if there is a grant request for Didsbury that we will be ready to move forward."
Smalldon said it would be up to council and the town to decide which project to move forward with.
In other council news, council approved two locations for pop-up parks. One is the current location near AG Foods in downtown Didsbury and the other is located at the Valarosa stormwater pond.
The background information stated that administration believes that the pop-up park has been a success in the downtown core and has attracted positive attention to the endeavour.
Further, the cost for the increase in liability insurance needed to add the parcel of land to the town's existing policy is minimal.
Council approved having administration hold an advanced poll for the 2017 municipal election on Friday, Oct. 6 from 12 until 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the town office at 1606 14th St.
Council also approved administration to hold an incapacitated elector at home vote on Thursday, Oct. 5 by appointment only, with the deadline to book appointments being Tuesday, Oct. 3.
As well, council carried a motion directing administration to hold an institutional polling station on Monday, Oct. 16 at Didsbury Hospital from 10 a.m. until 12 noon; Aspen Ridge Lodge from 12:15 to 2:15 p.m.; and Bethany Care facility from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Council brought up several notices of motion, all of which were carried.
Deputy Mayor Sue Schulz moved that council direct administration to review the notice of motion passed by the City of Red Deer relative to requesting AUMA to lobby the provincial government to allow for local improvement levies to include energy efficient retrofits.
Coun. Joyce McCoy moved that administration bring back a report on new businesses that have come to town since September of 2016.
McCoy also moved that council direct administration to plan a tour of the Mountain View Seniors' Housing facility in Sundre.
Derek Sutherland, manager of protective services, gave his year-end report for 2016 to council.
In the report, Sutherland stated that protective services had one of its most significant years in recent memory with the completion of the new protective services building, which incorporates fire, municipal enforcement, and emergency management.
"The building was completed on budget but required slightly more time than was originally expected," Sutherland wrote in the report. "The department moved into the building at the end of September 2016 and has been making it their home ever since. Having the whole department under one roof has increased efficiency and communication within the department."
Sutherland said that the town's two municipal enforcement officers dealt with 858 calls for service in 2016, down 20 per cent from the previous year.
The fire department responded to almost 180 calls in 2016 of which just under 40 were for fires and about 50 were alarms and investigations.
"We developed a model while working in Sundre that we would like to repeat and that is to have a community driven process."Sam SmalldonMountain View Seniors' Housing CAO
