(Photo: Google Maps)

By Troy Gillard

DISCRETIONARY USE

Plan to locate daycare office in Edgar Industrial Park narrowly approved by council

Aug 18, 2020 | 11:18 AM

A plan to locate a daycare administration office at a building in Edgar Industrial Park has been given the go ahead by Red Deer city council, albeit narrowly.

In a 5-4 vote on Monday, council approved a site exemption to allow “Office” as a discretionary use at #100 6700 76 Street.

Building owner Darcy Will applied for the exemption in order for the Red Deer Childcare Society to operate their administrative offices at the property. Will originally applied to have both ‘Day Care Facility’ and ‘Office’ added as site exemptions but with withdrew the former after getting feedback from city staff and nearby business owners.

Will noted in his application for the exemption that the property has been vacant since a construction company left two years ago, and that the only inquiries he received from potential new tenants were from office-type users.

“I think this speaks volumes about the location and its appeal to those types of users,” he wrote. “I would respectfully submit that our area be treated the same as Riverside (light industrial) and be allowed to be more of a mixed-use zone. If this is not to happen the area will continue to degrade.”

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City administration recommended that council not approve the exemption because the city’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP) supports having offices located in the Greater Downtown area while leaving industrial land for industrial purposes. Administration had also pointed out that the property is not unique and that Edgar Industrial Park is not in any sort of transition to becoming a mixed use district.

Councillor Vesna Higham reiterated her belief that the city needs to be willing to adapt to the needs of a business community that is struggling at this time.

“In a boom economy, the city has the luxury of strictly implementing the planning vision and Land Use Bylaw regulations that direct balance and good development across our community,” she explained. “However, in tough economic times, particularly the kind that we’ve faced in the past few years and are certain to be facing going forward… In this type of environment it’s critical that we have as a city, and as a council, the flexibility to adapt to the needs and struggle facing business.”

Councillor Diane Wyntjes noted that other nearby industrial-based businesses are already operating offices in the area.

Councillor Frank Wong opposed the site exemption while reinforcing his desire to see office-based businesses located downtown.

“I can see in another four or five years (that) the whole city will be blended (zoning), commercial, industrial, offices,” he suggested based on other recent decisions by council to approve rezoning and site exemption applications. “We have plenty of places for offices, and we don’t need to start cutting into other places, other zones.”