By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Council briefs: Single-family dwellings get a makeover

Jul 10, 2018 | 11:35 AM

City council gave third reading Monday of a bylaw amendment changing the way single-family dwellings may look in new neighbourhoods.

R1WS, an alternate to R1, is an option for developers such as Melcor, who will use it for the Evergreen neighbourhood north of St. Joseph high school.

The use stipulates that garages must be flush or behind the front door portion of a house’s frontage. As well, if a garage takes up 67 per cent of the frontage, there must be 40 per cent developed floor space above the garage.

The minimum side yard is set at 1.25 metres, down from 1.5 metres.

According to a report from City staff, these changes bring the live portion of the home closer to the street, encourage front porches, and allow greater building height. The result is a reduction in the dominance of front-attached garages.

residential mill rate to hold steady

Penhold town council approves final tax rate increases

3h ago

tips to prevent fires

Sylvan Lake urges extra caution as dry conditions push fire risk higher

4h ago

Guest speaker Chad Reyes

Premier Danielle Smith addresses Red Deerians at Christian Mayor's Prayer Breakfast

9h ago

In Timberlands North, three R1WS lots have been sold, with one already being constructed. The City will allow the developer there to choose whether to use the old or new R1WS regulations.
 

— Code of conduct 

City council is also updating its code of conduct.

The changes come as the province has updated the Municipal Government Act which now requires all municipalities to have one. 

Red Deer was one of the first to implement a code of conduct back in 2013.

The most noteworthy change made locally is to the definition of “reviewer” int he context of a complaint about a member of council.

The reviewer was defined as the mayor, but if given final approval, could also include two other members of council as long as they are not the ones implicated.

Municipalities must submit their reviewed or new codes of conduct to the province by July 23.
 

— New playgrounds at Gateway Christian

Two new playgrounds are set to be built at Gateway Christian School this summer.

On Monday, city council approved the installation of the second playground, with ongoing maintenance to be done by The City. This procedure is in keeping with an agreement between The City of Red Deer and local school boards.

All funding for both playgrounds has been raised by the parent council at Gateway Christian, which is a Red Deer Public Schools location.

“We have all the funding in place for both playgrounds – thanks to the CFEP grant from the Alberta Government, the Red Deer Society for Christian Education, donations from the Gateway Hot Lunch Program, the Red Deer 100 Men, Nixon Honey, Icon Energy Services, Koch Fuel Products,  and fundraising at our school,” says Kim White, Playground Committee Chair.

Earlier this year, the parent council found out Chinook’s Edge School Division, who still owned land west of the school, was selling. The existing playground has since been shipped to another school site in Innisfail.

This left the group raising money for not only the playground for older kids, but one for students in K-3.

It is planning a community build from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.

— Joint school site name

The joint school site where St. Joseph High School is situated will be known as ‘Agora Campus.’

Council approved the name, which was a joint decision between local school boards and The City, on Monday.

‘Agora’ is Greek for ‘gathering place’ while ‘campus’ means a collection of buildings or amenities. ‘Agora Campus’ is also a direct translation in French.

The need for a name was agreed upon by Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, Red Deer Public Schools, Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 3, and The City of Red Deer.

The site’s long-term future includes schools operated by each of those divisions.

A sign indicating the new name is likely to go up within a year.
 

— Advocacy centre, sports medicine clinic approved for RDC

Collegiate Sport Medicine and the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre are a step closer to putting shovels in the ground at Red Deer College.

Council approved a Land Use Bylaw amendment permitting both users at the college.

Collegiate will set up a new location inside the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, while the advocacy centre has plans to partner on a new facility on campus.

Both still must go through the development permit process.

Over the coming months, The City will look at university and college uses under a broader lens in anticipation of RDC becoming a university.
 

— New microbrewery

Council also granted a site exception to Sawback Brewing Company.

The microbrewery is looking to open up later this year at units 1-2 7023 Johnston Drive in the Golden West Industrial Park.