SANDRA M STANWAY
Brooks Bulletin
In March at a meeting behind closed doors Christ the Redeemer school board representatives convinced the city to give them the entire 23.5 acre property that makes up the old rodeo grounds.
City council approved the idea in a vote that followed the in-camera meeting but it was not announced until three weeks later.
Last week following the public hearing to officially rezone the land, city council approved the rezoning in a 5-2 vote.
The six month time frame was too fast, many said, as the school board should have started discussions with the city for a piece of property at least two to three years ago to have allowed for more planning.
The city does have an existing planning document, the Southeast Area Structure Plan, which was approved in 2004 but it’s unknown if it was part of the in-camera discussion.
Gavin Scott, the city’s land planner from the Oldman River Regional Services Commission (ORRSC) said the plan will be updated next year but the two school sites in the document show “no true indication as to where those would be developed.”
According to the plan, the school sites are on Second Avenue and near the college.
Scott said across the province there is a lack of communication between municipalities and school boards on municipal planning documents.
He said part of the process was required to identify school sites in municipalities but that requirement continues to receive extension from the province.
“There would have been a lot of planning that would have answered many questions including what is an appropriate school site and there would have been time to analyze planning documents to indicate where a school is needed.”
He said the next steps are carefully laid out by the province which will pay for the building but all other costs are at the responsibility of the municipality.
That could mean the city-owned land which is given to a school board as a municipal responsibility will likely put a ding in taxpayers’.
It’s likely there will be a requirement to redevelop the property along Seventh Street such as by widening the road, traffic lights or sidewalks if they are mandated through the traffic impact assessment and the sewage dump site will likely have to be removed.
“The cost of those improvements will be borne by the city. Off-site costs do not equate into the provincial funding,” said Scott.
During the recent Intermunicipal Planning Development meeting the city said they would like to help the county redirect the truck route which was a concern raised during last week’s public hearing.
“The ultimate goal would be to work with the County of Newell to have that truck route changed,” said mayor John Petrie.
“We’ll do whatever we can to kind of help you guys to kind of expedite that.”
The county has the route on its 20-year plan to be redirected to Highway 1 as land becomes available.
During the hearing Scott was asked about the possibility to subdivide the land between the city and school board.
He said options include moving the entire property into a school reserve designation, subdividing to split the ownership, creating a joint use agreement to name the city as the first right of refusal and to designate the site as municipal school reserve which would give both ownership without having to subdivide.
“The school (board) could step away from the property and it would be yours,” Scott told council during the public hearing.
“I believe staff is looking to discuss this with council at a later date.”
Petrie said he doesn’t see a point in subdividing.
“We are committed to soccer fields even if there is a school in there. It’s 23 acres. You know we can still build soccer fields and other sports facilities even if the title is to Christ the Redeemer,” he said.
He said he doesn’t know how much land the school would take but there is still a lot of land and soccer fields or other outdoor facilities could be built.
“I see keeping it intact as just one area,” he said.
However, if recreation sites are built for the community on school property, it’s unknown if the public would have access during school hours.
Petrie did not respond to a text following last week’s public hearing asking about the future of the Kin building.
City CAO Chris Parker said it’s also unknown where the school will be built on the property.
“It might not be where we would think it would be,” he said.
According to Parker the province will determine where on the parcel the school will be built until a study is completed.
“What might happen is they might put it right in the middle and they say on the left and right that could be your recreational areas.”
“They can’t say we’re going to have this wide of a lane for the parking and the busing because everything is being designed by the professionals in that aspect.
“So yes, it is a large piece of land. Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re getting the large piece of land. So we will have an opportunity to use it for other things.”
He said the city has been in discussions with the school board who claim they’re more than happy to either share or give back so it is a multi-use site.
The city’s decision has been made but it is currently in a 21-day appeal period.
Appeals are to be directed with a petition to the province.
