OLDS — A suite in the Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre in Olds currently doesn't fit town zoning requirements.
The organization would like to see it fit those requirements in order to house clients on a temporary basis, so it applied to the town for an exception to the land use bylaw to allow it to be used for “temporary residential use.”
During its Aug. 28 meeting, town council gave first reading to a bylaw to allow that to happen. Council also set Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. in council chambers as the date, time and place for a public hearing on a bylaw to make that change.
The centre is located on 49th Avenue, in land that is part of the Uptowne Area Redvelopment Plan (ARP).
“The Uptowne ARP (supports) mixed-use developments, but this is a unique case where the mix of uses includes neither a for-profit business nor a permanent dwelling unit,” a memo from town staff said.
Coun. James Cummings questioned the wisdom of making what he called a temporary fix, rather than creating a bylaw that would create a permanent fix to the problem.
"Certainly to me it seems we’re setting a precedent in law, legislature, allowing the use of illegal suites,” he said.
“I’m not really in favour of allowing someone to use an illegal suite.”
Cummings stressed he recognizes that there is a need for such assistance to Pregnancy Care Centre clients.
Development officer Kyle Sloan said the suite can fully comply with all provincial building and safety codes, but the problem lies in the current town bylaw’s definition of a secondary suite.
The suite in the Pregnancy Care Centre doesn’t fit that definition.
“I’m a more permanent fixer guy rather than interim fixer guy,” Cummings said.
“Maybe changing the definition to be a little bit more inclusive would be a better fix than this one-off for specifically the Pregnancy Care Centre. Would that be a more long-term solution than this here?”
“That is something that could be considered,” Sloan said. “I do think changing the definition of secondary suites, which I believe has been in our bylaw since 2008 is part of a larger discussion.”
He suggested that could be part of an overall review of the town’s land use bylaw.
Sloan said in this case there would be conditions regarding who can stay in the suite.
