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Red Deer Minor Football to build new storage facility in Rosedale

Oct 18, 2018 | 2:26 PM

Work may start next spring on a new storage/change room facility for Red Deer Minor Football (RDMF) at their home base in Rosedale.

On Wednesday, The City’s Municipal Planning Commission approved a development permit application from the organization to construct a 148 square metre accessory building just east of the Rosedale Community Hall facing Reichley Street.

The new building would house a maximum of three portable toilets within a screened outdoor area.

RDMF board member James Donnelly says it’s tremendous news for them.

“The goal is to make it so that other groups can request from us and then if we can enable it within our agreements, would be allowed to allow that access,”says Donelly. 

The facility is planned to be 5.89 metres tall, higher than the 5.2 metre community hall to the west, with a footprint of 114 square metres, which drew some concern from nearby residents.

Donelly explains that half of the new facility is needed for storage of large equipment required in football, such as blocking sleds and large tackling mats.

“Football has a tremendous safety requirement for equipment. But it’s also half for a changing area so I hope that we can work together. We’ll do our best to keep parking in-check and the garbage down and work with those in the area to keep them happy.”

He says the new storage/change room facility which can also be used for clasroom purposes, is badly needed from their standpoint.

“This means we can have all of our equipment in one area and use the equipment more effectively,” adds Donnelly. “Secondly, we hope that this really gives us that footprint to grow. We currently have 200 participants in the fall and we want to grow to both fall and spring, as well as we’d like the program to get even bigger.”

He says the location of the new storage facility was jointly determined by RDMF and City staff.

“The Rosedale sports fields are top-notch. We have two to two and a half sports fields there which allows all of our programs to run concurrently. Football is growing, especially in Red Deer. The youth that participate in it, its valuable to them throughout their life, so we want to push the sport, grow the sport and use this facility to enhance the community as a whole.”   

Red Deer Minor Football currently uses a sea-can container behind Lindsey Thurber High School to store its equipment.